The masterpieces of the Centennial international exhibition of 1876 (1876) (14595855027)

Identifier: masterpiecesofce02shin (find matches)
Title: The masterpieces of the Centennial international exhibition of 1876 ..
Year: 1876 (1870s)
Authors: Shinn, Earl, 1838-1886 Smith, Walter Wilson, Joseph M. (Joseph Miller), 1838-1902
Subjects: Centennial Exhibition (1876 : Philadelphia, Pa.)
Publisher: Philadelphia, Gebbie & Barrie
Contributing Library: Philadelphia Museum of Art, Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation



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ect-ed on some levelspot — the instru-ment known to usas a sun-dial be-longing to a muchlater period. But all theseancient styles ofhorologues weresuperseded by theapplication to time-markers of ma-chinery moved byweicrhts, and after-wards by springs,and the use of thependulum with its clepsydras were Entablement of Norwich CaU: Barnard.Bhhop&BamarJs. ^^^^^ OScillationS. very cosdy and in- With the introduc- tion of the pendulum for this purpose, a new era began in clock-making, andthe ingenuity of scientific men was directed to perfecdng the methods of itsuse and making the machinery what it is at present, the perfection of mechanism 344 THE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, 1876. and scientific knowledge. Correct timekeepers, both watches and clocks, arethincrs of such ordinary and universal use now-a-days that few people pause toconsider what a triumph of invention the mechanism is. Assuming, as a matterof course, that the works are all right, the purchaser of a costly watch or clock
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seeks rather to please his fancy as to the style, shape, size, etc., of the object;and it would be hard to find any article of use or ornament, or both combined,that is offered to the public under so many different shapes and disguises asthe modern clock. Almost the whole range of classic sculpture has been made INDUSTRIAL ART. 345 subservient to its use. Atlas sweats under the weiglit of its works, and theLaocoon writhes with it in his belly. A favorite and an excellent style is toinsert the works and dial into a pedestal for a statuette, usually of bronze. Many of these are.exquisite worksof art, admirablecopies of the an-tique or modernproductions; butby far the greaternumber are aboutas poor specimensof ornament as themarket affords. In-deed, as a rule,clock-statuary is tobe avoided. On page 341 weillustrate a style ofClock, exhibitedin the AustrianCourt at the Ex-hibition, that makesno pretence of be-ing anything otherthan what it is, andin which the design