watch glass
Date: 1750-1800
Inventory Number: 7298
Classification: Sand Glass
Subject:
Maker: French ?
Collector: Harrold Edgar Gillingham (1864 - 1954)
Collector: David P. Wheatland (1898 - 1993)
Place of Origin:
Dimensions:
13.5 x 6.4 x 6.4 cm (5 5/16 x 2 1/2 x 2 1/2 in.)
Accessories: None
Description:
Two glass ampoules are joined by cloth wrappings and string at their narrowest ends. A sieve is held between them. White sand is enclosed.
The sand glass is housed in a cylindrical frame formed of tin sheet metal. The housing has two apertures with scalloped edges, permitting the user to see the sand glass. The base is a round piece of the same metal. A second cylindrical housing, similar to the first is inverted over the first and rotates around it. This permits the glass to be sealed off from view and the weather when not in use. It also protects the glass from breakage.
The glass ampoules are padded with wool and paper where they meet the housing.
The sand glass is housed in a cylindrical frame formed of tin sheet metal. The housing has two apertures with scalloped edges, permitting the user to see the sand glass. The base is a round piece of the same metal. A second cylindrical housing, similar to the first is inverted over the first and rotates around it. This permits the glass to be sealed off from view and the weather when not in use. It also protects the glass from breakage.
The glass ampoules are padded with wool and paper where they meet the housing.
Signedunsigned
Historical AttributesOld label on bottom marked, "20 min." indicates the duration which this glass had measured, but is not likely the original duration when it was built.
The style is typical of sea-going sand glasses. These were of two sorts. The log glass was used with the log and line for determining the ship's speed. Log glasses were designed to run between 27 and 30 seconds. The second type of sand glass was the watch glass. These measured 30-minute intervals which were used in keeping track of shipboard watches.
The style is typical of sea-going sand glasses. These were of two sorts. The log glass was used with the log and line for determining the ship's speed. Log glasses were designed to run between 27 and 30 seconds. The second type of sand glass was the watch glass. These measured 30-minute intervals which were used in keeping track of shipboard watches.
Curatorial RemarksMay be leaking sand. Old paper inside with French writing suggests French origin.
ProvenanceHarrold E. Gillingham Collection; David P. Wheatland, Topsfield, MA, 1949; gift to CHSI, c. 1985.