Objects

"John Bull" Clock
ca. 1860
Bradley and Hubbard (probably)
USA: Connecticut, Meriden (probably)
Cast iron, paint, glass, paper
overall: 16-1/2"h x 8-1/2"w x 6"d
Gift of Mrs. Willis R. Michael
85.108.1a-b

Novelty "John Bull" clock; a: clock; b: base (firmly attached); cast iron, hollow-bodied figure of rotund man ("John Bull") with bow tie and top hat; clock dial on stomach; 30-hour "T. Kennedy / Patent / Applied / for 1856" cast on the inside underside of the base. Scratched into the paint on the top of John Bull's hat: "No. 1510." Inside top of inner brass dial surround: "Patent Pending."


The availability of small, inexpensive, factory-made, brass clockworks allowed makers to design hundreds of different clock types and shapes. Consumers could choose designs that complemented their household décor or just tickled their fancy. Novelty clocks, like this one in the shape of John Bull, a symbol of plain-spoken commonsense Englishmen, found a place in the market. The eyes on this figural clock moved in time with the mechanism.