A Large Cast Iron Painted & Mirrored Architectural Skeleton Clock Face; Gatehouse, Leicester c.1870
SOLD
Origin: English
Period: Late Victorian
Provenance: Gatehouse, Aylestone Road Gas Works, Leicester
Date: c.1870
Diameter: 72”
Depth: 2”
The large and decorative black and white painted cast iron architectural clock face, having a distressed mirrored glass backing and at six feet in diameter, of skeleton configuration with Roman numeral indicator marks, to a central six segment star, the whole salvaged from the Gatehouse, Aylestone Road Gas Works, Leicester, built in the 1870s.
The face is in good overall condition and has not been cleaned or restored in any way, thus retaining its charms as a hugely decorative piece of wall art with oxidisation and wear to the extremities. The glass is nigh on perfect, as is the frame with the mirrored backing being nicely distressed in many areas as it was placed out in a garden for the last decade. The numerals have been later painted white over the original black but this coat has now distressed back.
This clock face was salvaged from Gatehouse, Aylestone Road Gas Works, Leicester. The Gas Museum, also known as the National Gas Museum, is situated in the former gatehouse of this gasworks in Leicester and deals with the history of domestic and industrial gas supply. It is claimed to be "the biggest collection of gas and gas related artefacts in the world”. See our photograph for the face in situe (one of four).
The design of this clockface is clearly linked to a Victorian maker in the area of Leicester with very similarly designed clockfaces appearing on the fire station in Lancaster road, All Saints church, the counting house; which was once for the livestock market, and the Wheatsheaf works which was originally the Cooperative boot and shoe factory.
Delivering a knock-out punch, this is a showstopping architectural gem.
Period: Late Victorian
Provenance: Gatehouse, Aylestone Road Gas Works, Leicester
Date: c.1870
Diameter: 72”
Depth: 2”
The large and decorative black and white painted cast iron architectural clock face, having a distressed mirrored glass backing and at six feet in diameter, of skeleton configuration with Roman numeral indicator marks, to a central six segment star, the whole salvaged from the Gatehouse, Aylestone Road Gas Works, Leicester, built in the 1870s.
The face is in good overall condition and has not been cleaned or restored in any way, thus retaining its charms as a hugely decorative piece of wall art with oxidisation and wear to the extremities. The glass is nigh on perfect, as is the frame with the mirrored backing being nicely distressed in many areas as it was placed out in a garden for the last decade. The numerals have been later painted white over the original black but this coat has now distressed back.
This clock face was salvaged from Gatehouse, Aylestone Road Gas Works, Leicester. The Gas Museum, also known as the National Gas Museum, is situated in the former gatehouse of this gasworks in Leicester and deals with the history of domestic and industrial gas supply. It is claimed to be "the biggest collection of gas and gas related artefacts in the world”. See our photograph for the face in situe (one of four).
The design of this clockface is clearly linked to a Victorian maker in the area of Leicester with very similarly designed clockfaces appearing on the fire station in Lancaster road, All Saints church, the counting house; which was once for the livestock market, and the Wheatsheaf works which was originally the Cooperative boot and shoe factory.
Delivering a knock-out punch, this is a showstopping architectural gem.
