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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Clock · Tall case clock

Federal Mahogany Tall Case Clock, Job White

Partially verified

This American Federal tall case clock stands 95 inches high in a Roxbury-style mahogany case. According to the auction house, it was made in Massachusetts and marketed in Virginia circa 1810. The arched hood features openwork pierced fretwork, fluted columns, and three brass ball finials. The painted dial exhibits Roman numerals, an auxiliary subdial, painted spandrels decorated with American shields, and is inscribed 'Job White Richmond'. The waist features a long veneered case door flanked by brass-mounted quarter columns above a molded base set on bracket feet.

Full frontal view of the Federal mahogany tall case clock
Full frontal view of the Federal mahogany tall case clock — Freeman's. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
freemansauction.com
Category
Clock · Tall case clock
Maker / attribution
Job White
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
337
Source-reported date
circa 1810
Country
United States

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Construction and Design

This Federal-period tall case clock is housed in a mahogany Roxbury-style case measuring 95 inches high, 19 inches wide, and 10 inches deep. The arched hood features pierced fretwork, fluted columns, and three brass ball-and-spire finials. The waist contains a rectangular door flanked by brass-mounted quarter columns, terminating in a molded plinth base supported by bracket feet.

Documented repairs to the case include patches to the molding, lock slot, and case door. The base panel shows age cracks and splits. Structural interventions include reinforcement of the left-facing rear leg with screws, and both back legs appear to have replaced returns.

Evidence for this section
  • “in a Roxbury-style case”
  • “H: 95 in. W: 19 in. D: 10 in.”
  • “Arched hood surmounted by pierced fretwork and three brass ball-and-spire finials”
  • “the base panel with some age cracks and splits”
  • “left-facing rear leg reinforced with some screws, and both back legs appear to have replaced returns”

Dial and Attribution

The painted dial is decorated with American shields and inscribed 'Job White Richmond'. It includes Roman numeral hour markers and a subsidiary seconds dial. The surface displays craquelure consistent with age, alongside minor paint loss and darkening.

The identity and history of Job White remain subjects of professional research. Source documentation notes a Job White in Blandford, Virginia (1803), a Baltimore clockmaker (1817-1822), and an individual who worked in Boston with the Willards. It is suggested that this Job White may have acted as an agent for Northern clockmakers.

Evidence for this section
  • “The painted dial decorated with American shields and inscribed, “Job White Richmond,””
  • “dial signed "Job White, Richmond,"”
  • “White may have also acted as an agent for Northern clockmakers”

Condition and Maintenance History

The hood exhibits repaired breaks in the fretwork and a replaced top segment on the right-facing side. Additionally, two of the wooden finial caps appear to be replaced, while all finials have been attached with screws. The case door includes a pencil inscription reading, 'Feb. 28 1900...repaired by R Jan /59,' indicating historical servicing.

The auction house does not guarantee the functionality of the mechanical movement, which is provided with two weights, a pendulum, and a winding key.

Evidence for this section
  • “the hood: a few repaired breaks to fretwork, and one segment on top of right-facing side of fretwork is replaced”
  • “interior of case door with old pencil inscription that reads, "Feb. 28 1900...repaired by R Jan /59,"”
  • “as with all mechanical objects, Freeman's does not guarantee functionality for clocks”

Open research questions

  • Is the 'Job White' signature on the dial contemporaneous with the clock's original construction or a later application?
  • Can the 'R Jan /59' repair inscription be cross-referenced with regional horological archives in Virginia?
  • Do internal movement components bear marks that definitively link the clock to a specific Boston-area workshop?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Federal Mahogany Tall Case Clock, Job White
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Dial InscriptionJob White, Richmond,“dial signed "Job White, Richmond,"”
Place of OriginMade in Massachusetts, marketed in Virginia“made in Massachusetts, marketed in Virginia”
Case StyleRoxbury-style“in a Roxbury-style case”
Dimensions95 x 19 x 10 in.“H: 95 in. W: 19 in. D: 10 in.”
Dial DecorationPainted American shields“The painted dial decorated with American shields”
Dimensions95 in. x 19 in. x 10 in.“H: 95 in. W: 19 in. D: 10 in.”
ProvenanceBy descent in a Richmond, Virginia family to the present owner“By descent in a Richmond, Virginia family to the present owner”

Visible details

  • Arched hood surmounted by pierced fretwork and three brass ball-and-spire finials
  • Painted white dial with Roman hour numerals, subsidiary dial, and American shield spandrels
  • Long rectangular waist door flanked by brass-mounted quarter columns
  • Molded plinth base resting on bracket feet

Research qualifications

  • Source condition report notes replaced finials, fretwork repairs and a replaced top segment on the fretwork
  • Source notes old repairs and patches to the case door, base panel, and replaced rear leg returns
  • Functionality of mechanical clocks is not guaranteed by the auction house

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

A Federal mahogany tall case clock, dial signed "Job... | Freeman's

Reviewed 2026-10-22 · Record eb140c53c7

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Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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