Stretch: America's First Family of Clockmakers.
Wilmington, DE: Winterthur, 2013. First edition. Cloth over Boards. Quarto, pp. 343, indexed, illustrated with color photographs. New in New DJ. Item #21244
This volume presents the definitive story of the Staffordshire-born Stretch family of clockmakers, the clocks they made, and the important role they played in early 18th-century Philadelphia. Illustrated essays address the family history, the importance of their Quaker beliefs, and their immigration to America in 1703; time-telling and the clockmaking community in pre-1750 Philadelphia; innovative mechanical advances made by the Stretches; and their notable civic and cultural contributions to the city. The catalog section features 84 of the 133 Stretch clocks identified during the project, illustrating and fully describing the cases, movements and provenance. The majority of the clocks are being published for the first time. Included in the extensive appendices is important documentation on the names of clock owners in Philadelphia, 1682 to 1750.
Price: $300.00