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Antique Ithaca ClocksTake me to the Auctions! Ithaca concentrated on easily obtainable material for its first clock cases. Iron was the material of choice, coming from an iron producer and foundry in New York. Inside the cases Horton placed bought-in movements, primarily from the Welch Clock making Company, married his patented calendar to the movement and retailed the complete clock. As has happened to so many of the great clock making companies, fire would prove to be the company's greatest early enemy. In 1876 fire broke out in the manufacturing factory and destroyed it completely. Never a defeatist, Horton rebuilt the factory and thankfully it has this time survived the test of time, as it is still in existence. From its inception, antique Ithaca clocks proved to be very popular with the general public and sales were extremely buoyant right through the turn of the century - not bad for a company that started from virtually nothing. Horton was always one to keep up with market trends and since the so-called 'Grandfather Clock' was becoming more popular the company started manufacturing a cheap version to meet increasing demand. Using low cost movements their popularity proved to be an important source of income for Ithaca. Antique Ithaca Clocks are ever popular today, even if there are a moderate number of models to choose from. The company produced several varieties of basically the same clock, with variations in cases being the main distinguishing features. There are approximately 50 different models of Ithaca Clocks that you are likely to find; many of those are distinguishable in very minor ways from another. Some popular models are the "Farmers No.10", "Hanging Office No.4", "Parlor Calendar No.3½", "Shelf Cottage No.7" and "Shelf Library No.8". These are some of the most common of all the antique Ithaca Clocks, but don't be surprised to find models that may well not conform to any particular specification as Ithaca would often produce clocks to order for well-to-do clients. The Ithaca Calendar Clock Company was to last only until 1917 when countrywide depression was to claim yet another victim. The moderate number of models and the relatively short life of the company have left us with some magnificent clocks to collect and hopefully to restore to their former glory. Happy Collecting!
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