Simon Willard and Sons
American, 1753–1848
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Lighthouse Clock
INV-1480
Simon Willard and Sons
American, 1753–1848
Roxbury, Massachusetts1825–30
furniture accessoryamerican decorative arts
Date
1825–30
Medium
White pine, mahogany veneer, enamel, brass, and gilt and silver mounts
Dimensions
74.9 × 26 cm (29 1/2 × 10 1/4 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Gift of the Antiquarian Society
In 1819 Simon Willard applied for and received a patent for the first American alarm clock. He intended for the clocks to be portable so that one could use them around the house or while traveling. Patented by Willard under the name “alarm timepiece,” clocks like this one are now referred to as lighthouse clocks for their marked similarity to the Eddystone lighthouse in the English Channel off Plymouth, England. This particular clock descended in the family of Simon Willard’s brother Aaron.