David

Mearto specialist

Hello Ralph, Thank you for sending this very special mantel clock to mearto.com for an appraisal. I shall try to help you with that today. Title: Mahogany and brass inlaid, double spring, eight day time and striking, bracket cabinet clock in the English manner, made by Conrad Feising, Court Clockmaker, Berlin, German, circa 1890-1900. Provenance: Provenance: Clock belonged to Josef Samson, a Berlin born Jew who immigrated to the United States. Doctor Samson was a trained physician who was born in Berlin in 1878. He practiced medicine there until 1932. He left for France only a month after Hitler came to power and the Reichstag fire in 1932. He and his much younger wife Kate lived in Paris until the early 1940's. They were both sent to internment camps in early 1940. They successfully made it the New York through Lisbon in 1942. Dr. Samson practiced medicine in Berlin, then Paris and the New York. He died in 1962. His wife Kate died in 2006 and this clock was part of their estate. We know that the clock traveled with them from Berlin. We have pictures of their apartment there from the 1910's and 20's which show a number of their possessions. I believe I also have the bill of lading for items which were shipped to the US in 1942. The Samson's story is chronicled in the book One More Moon which is on Amazon. Case: 11” tall x 7.75” wide at base, this is a rounded arch, cabinet mantel clock (bracket clock) made in the English style of the 20th century. The case is solid mahogany with brass inlays. The arched top is smooth without decoration and falls vertically at the sides to the ebonized stepped base molding transitioning down to the mahogany base board resting on four brass ogee bracket feet. The glazed brass bezel sits at the top of the façade while just below there is shaped brass string inlay. An arched door at the back opens to reveal the movement compartment. The door has a brass crosshatched mesh plate backed by cloth to allow the chiming to resonate through the room. Dial: White enameled round dial with upright Arabic hours, open dotted minute track marked with red Arabic numerals every fifteen minutes. There are two winding apertures for the movement and a Brocot small aperture @12 for altering the speed of the movement. There are steel Continental type spade hands. The dial is signed by the clockmaker, "Conrad Feising, Hofuhrmacher (Court clockmaker), Berlin". (During the early years of the 20th century German clockmakers rarely put their names on the dials of their clocks because they wanted to develop their own market share with America an England. The German clockmakers felt that English speaking countries would not buy their clocks and they made clocks in the English and American styles, but priced below that of their competitors. This practice was fairly universal up until the start of WWII. So, this example which is so clearly marked by the clockmaker, and proudly so, was certainly made prior to 1900) Movement: A square solid brass plate movement, not signed as far as I can tell, but definitely German. At the top of the back brass plate is the pendulum suspension bridge held on by two screws. The rounded suspension is almost 100% proof that the maker was German. The plates are held together at the four corners by four pillars (not seen) and screwed together at the rear plate with washers and screws (indicates post 1900 origin.). The movement has an anchor escapement with rack and snail striking, butterfly wheel, and is powered by two steel springs for a duration of eight days and striking every thirty minutes on the coiled gong with round brass base and long threaded pole attached to be the base of the case. The brass crutch passes through the brass pendulum rod with round brass bob at the base. Condition: Movement – original, genuine but no longer works. Dial – Remains in very good condition for its age. Case – Wear to the finish of the case especially at the top. In this particular situation, just perfect as it sits! I would not do a thing to this clock, unless you really feel the need to have it running. History: Conrad Feising was working as a clock and watch maker in Berlin circa 1860. He participated in many exhibitions, made pocket watches, table clocks and longcase clocks, and was well known in those years as "Court Clockmaker" in Berlin. Pricing: Well, of course, the story is finer than the clock. In today’s weak clock market it is not going to bring much, but the real value lies in the heart and soul of what this mantel clock has witnessed is worth far more than its value on the auction stage. You should put all of your information together with this clock and with the book One More Moon. It is difficult for me to put a price on this piece, but that is my job, and if it were sold with all of the information that you possess with it I would say that in a market that may have valued such a piece at $200 it would bring $500-$600 at auction. Of course, a retailer selling this would be somewhat higher. I hope that helps you pinpoint where and when this clock was made, to go along with your most interesting story of the enforced world travels of a true healer. My best, David