About Me
Early 30-hour longcase clock by Charles Rogers at Guild Hall, c1672. Interestingly, Rogers was put on trial in London for attending an illegal Religious Meeting just days before the first recorded deaths of the Great Plague in 1665.
I am an enthusiastic collector of early 30-hour clocks, a keen historian, and amateur photographer. I am always interested in a story linked with an antique clock's past as this can often bring to light additional information about its maker and previous owners. I therefore designed this website (which is a work in progress) to write short articles (where possible) about each clock and reveal the clock's historic background in the hope that it brings to life some of the fascinating historical events that has happened during the clocks lifetime and in my opinion making the subject of early clocks even more interesting!
After completing a 4-year apprenticeship as a Lithographic printer at the age of 21, I steadily rose to manage a multi million pound 6-colour printing press, where I regularly had to produce the highest quality of work which included printing fine antiques and ancient art books, catalogues, magazines and brochures for a number of prestigious clients. The colours always had to match each artefact exactly to their originals and this is how I learned about the importance of showing the minute details and true colours when taking high quality digital photographs of antique clocks. I had always been a keen digital photographer and gained qualifications in digital photography and photoshop post editing. When photographing antique clocks, I always aim is to bring out the beauty and individual charm and character that I can see in each example.
Above.The Charles Rogers early 30-hour longcase clock has a wonderfully engraved tulip themed dial centre and is signed within a lambrequin 'Charles Rogers at Guild Hall'. I always aim is to bring out the beauty and individual charm and character each clock has. Photographed by Lee Borrett
17th century religious meeting. Shutterstock.com. In February 1665, Charles Rogers along with 33 other persons was put on trial in London for attending an illegal religious meeting - this was only a few weeks before the first victims of the Great Plague were recorded.
Left. A plague doctor was a physician who treated victims of bubonic plague during epidemics mainly in the 16th and 17th century. These physicians were hired by cities to treat infected patients regardless of income, especially the poor that could not afford to pay.
I do not regard myself to be an expert or authority on the subject of early 30-hour clocks, but do feel qualified to comment on them having not only seen and handled many examples over the last 30 years through my own private collection, but also having had the experience and privilege of handling and taking hundreds of high quality Record Shot Photographs for other horologists and private collectors, whose collections include important 30-hour examples by such makers as Harvie, Bowyer, Fromanteel, Tompion, Knibb and Jones etc, and I feel that this is invaluable experience to have gained.
I hope that you will find my website interesting and enjoy listening to the Gregorian monk background music.
Thanks for visiting
Lee Borrett