Beauty of the Clock - A Bit of History

The clocks people were most familiar with in the 1700's were Grandfather clocks. By 1657, it became possible to measure time exactly, as the Dutch inventor, Christian Huyghens, revolutionized the art of clock making by successfully applying the rudimentary knowledge of pendulums. Thanks to this invention, the use of a minute hand became general practice. Clockmakers then began perfecting the mechanism in order to make the clock function longer. Because they had to use weights that were far too heavy for wall-mounted clocks, they created a chest in which the clock and mechanism could be placed. Thus, the grandfather clock was born. The originals models were often square faced, topped by an arch displaying a rotating sun and moon. In the center, another small face indicated the date, lunar phases and tide tables. The illustration from Mother Goose's Melodies Set To Music is similar to the models crafted in London in the 1770's, with ornamentation of peaks resembling a mouse sitting on top of the clock. The rhythmic beat of this rhyme is easily set to the musical rhythm of 6/8 time, the timing of a pendulum swing of a grandfather clock.