Sharon's own Gary Sullivan, an internationally known antique clock expert, regular guest on "Antiques Roadshow", and board member of the Sharon Historical Society, is the force behind a one of a kind exhibit now on display at the Willard House & Clock Museum in North Grafton, MA. Gathered together in this exhibit for the first time are thirty-six early American tall musical clocks. This represents approximately 25% of all such clocks known to exist!
To get these clocks Gary had to contact museums and private individuals all around the country and convince them of the value of loaning the exhibit their extremely valuable clocks. Then Gary and an assistant traveled the country in a special van outfitted to cradle the clocks safely back to Massachusetts. The work had just begun though, as many of the clocks no longer kept time, or played music. Part of the incentive for the private individuals and the institutions owning the clocks to lend them was that Gary promised to do his best to get all the clocks ticking, and chiming their beautiful tunes, again. With much hard work and using his long established connections in the antique clock world, Gary had remarkable success.
This six week long exhibit has been twice recommended by The New York Times newspaper. Groups of academics from places like Yale University and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts have traveled long distances to see the exhibit. Don't miss out on its final two weeks in the area.
North Grafton is a reasonable drive from Sharon. Get there before the exhibit closes on Sunday, November 17th, and you will see and hear all these beautiful clocks at their best. Gary also collaborated with early music expert Kate Van Winkle Keller to assess and catalog all the clocks, and the tunes they play; and create the well thought out and illustrated informative placards throughout the exhibit.
Gary and Kate co-wrote an article on the exhibit entitled "18th Century Hit Parade" which appeared in the August issue of The Magazine Antiques. You can read this well written article, and see photographs of the musical clocks, through a pdf file linked in the News & Media tab (see Matt Buckley entry of Sep 30) of Gary's website http://www.garysullivanantiques.com/
Gary and Kate are also finishing up a book about these unique clocks.
Hours for the clock exhibit are Wednesday through Sunday 10 -4 through Sunday Nov. 17th. Admission to the museum is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors and students, and $6 for children (under 6 children free). The museum is housed in the Willard homestead, which dates back to 1718. Touring it and enjoying its regular displays are worth the price of admission even without the special clock display. This location has a special significance to the exhibit because members of the Willard family once built masterpiece clocks such as those on display. In fact, one of the thirty six clocks in the exhibit is a Willard clock belonging to the museum.
The Willard House and Clock Museum is located at 11 Willard St., North Grafton. From Sharon, if you take Rte. 95S to Rte 495N, it is an easy drive to the Rte. 9 W exit. In just 1.5 miles, exit onto Rte. 30 west. Then it’s just about five miles to the left turn onto Willard St., and a half mile to the Museum on the right. You will see beautiful farmland and rolling hills along the way.
Check the Willard website www.willardhouse.org for further information, some of which is copied below:
October 6 — November 17, 2013
This unprecedented exhibition of three-dozen early American musical and chiming clocks will provide visitors the opportunity to travel back in time and experience the popular music of our ancestors, just as it was played two hundred years ago. The majority of these masterpieces are privately owned and most have never before been exhibited to the public. Some have been silent for decades and for this exhibit have been brought back to life—playing the tunes that so delighted their first owners.
This six-week exhibit promises to be a unique presentation of outstanding 18th- and early 19th-century artistry in American clockmaking, cabinetmaking and music.