R. J. Horner Tall Case Clocks
Some of America’s finest carved tall case clocks were made by the R.J. Horner & Co. of New York. Horner was one of the premier cabinetmakers of the late Nineteenth Century. His clients included Andrew Carnegie and J. Pierpont Morgan. The works are by J.J. Elliott, Ltd. of London, who were the most prestigious clockmakers of the day. Only the finest clocks were outfitted with Elliott tubular bell movements.
Many of the clocks were fitted with nine chiming tubes, made in London. These are stamped Harris & Harrington and dated. Harrington developed the bell chime in 1884. They were of such extraordinary quality that, initially, they were used in opera houses and theaters. These chimes earned the title, “the most perfect representation of church chimes ever produced”. Accompanying this title came a Gold Medal Award at the 1885 Paris World’s Fair. A clock with a Horner case, Elliott movement, and Harrington Chimes represented the epitome of a 19th and early 20th century tall case clock. Many of the clocks chimes on the quarter-hour as well as on the hour, and can be set to play either Westminster or Whittington melodies.