The Gilded Age Season 2 | Meet Henry J. Davies, Watchmaker Inspired Jack Trotter

Perhaps this is Jack Trotter’s muse, Henry J. Davies. Davies operated a clock-related business at No. 5 Courtland/Cortlandt Street in New York, New York, from 1858 through 1886. Davies was an inventor and case designer and became President of the Ansonia Clock Company while his brother, Walter, became general superintendent of the factory. Walter was also an inventor and focused on attaining Canadian patents, perhaps to help move the company into Canada. Henry Davies may have been largely responsible for the figurine clocks, swing clocks and other unusual novelties for which the Ansonia firm is highly regarded by clock collectors. He designed and patented clock cases, clock stands and even a skirt printing mechanism. One of Davies’ earliest patents from January 1879? Improvements on alarm clocks!

Sources:

Seth Thomas History at Clock History, https://clockhistory.com/sethThomas/company/#google_vignette

Delaney Antique Clocks, "Silas Burnham Terry", https://www.delaneyantiqueclocks.com/clocks/clock/silas-burnham-terry-cottage-clock-torsion-suspension-s-b-terry-co-uu-37

Delaney Antique Clocks, "Henry J Davies of New York", https://www.delaneyantiqueclocks.com/clocks/maker/henry-j-davies-new-york

American Silversmiths, "Silas Burnham Terry", https://www.americansilversmiths.org/makers/silversmiths/176820.htm

"Ansonia Clock Company", Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ansonia_Clock_Company

Center for Immigration Studies, "Untold Stories", https://cis.org/Report/Untold-Stories-American-Workers-Replaced-H1B-Visa-Program

HBO, The Gilded Age

The Clock Guy, "Ansonia Clock Company", https://www.clockguy.com/SiteRelated/SiteReferencePages/AnsoniaHistory.html

#hbomax #thegildedage #gildedage #gildedages2 #gildedageseason2 #jacktrotter #trotter #trotterclock #trotteralarmclock #bertharussell #vanrhijn #gildedagefullep #gildedageseason #mrsvanrhijn #benahlers #oscarvanrhijn #clockhistory #ansonia #seththomas