Parkinson & Frodsham Box Chronometer
date: label: date made
content: ca 1840
name: label: maker
content: Parkinson & Frodsham
notes: label: Description
content: This instrument is a specialized timekeeper designed for finding longitude at sea. Its form is that of the standardized 19th-century marine chronometer. Parkinson & Frodsham, a firm trading in high-quality chronometers, clocks and watches, was established in 1801 by William James Frodsham (1778-1850) and William Parkinson (d. about 1842). From 1801 to 1890, the firm’s business address was 4 Change Alley, and thereafter at other addresses until 1947.
label: Description
content: Mechanism details:
label: Description
content: Escapement: Earnshaw, spring detent
label: Description
content: Duration: 56-hour
label: Description
content: Power source: Spring drive with chain and fusee
label: Description
content: Balance spring: Helical, blued steel, Earnshaw type
label: Description
content: Inscription: "Parkinson & Frodsham." on backplate, "Change Alley / London" on barrel bridge
label: Description
content: Bowl details:
label: Description
content: Brass bowl
label: Description
content: Brass gimbals
label: Description
content: Bezel screwed and milled
label: Description
content: Crystal convex and chamfered
label: Description
content: Dial details:
label: Description
content: Engraved and silvered brass
label: Description
content: Indicates hours, minutes, seconds, winding level up and down
label: Description
content: Hands: blued steel, early spade
label: Description
content: Inscription: "Parkinson & Frodsham / Change Alley London. 2349"
label: Description
content: Case details:
label: Description
content: Box: solid wood, three-part, glazed center section
label: Description
content: Brass corners, cartouche and key escutcheon
label: Description
content: Roundel in bone
label: Description
content: Inscriptions: none
label: Description
content: References:
label: Description
content: 1. Gould, Rupert T. <i>The Marine Chronometer.</i> Essex: Holland Press, 1960.
label: Description
content: 2. Mercer, Tony. <i>Chronometer Makers of the World.</i> London: NAG Press, 1991.
label: Description
content: 3. Mercer, R. Vaudry. <i>The Frodshams. The Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers.</i> London: Antiquarian Horological Society monograph 21, 1981.
label: Description
content: 4. Whitney, Marvin,E. <i>The Ship's Chronometer.</i> Cincinnati: American Watchmakers Institute Press, 1985.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Mechanisms
label: See more items in
content: Time and Navigation
label: See more items in
content: Measuring & Mapping
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: ME.336641
label: catalog number
content: 336641
label: accession number
content: 1978.0161
label: catalog number
content: 1978.0161.02
objectType: label: Object Name
content: box chronometer
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: brass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: glass (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: steel (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood (container material)
label: Measurements
content: overall - box: 7 1/8 in x 7 in x 6 3/8 in; 18.0975 cm x 17.78 cm x 16.1925 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall - key: 3 in x 1 1/4 in x 3/4 in; 7.62 cm x 3.175 cm x 1.905 cm
label: Measurements
content: dial - from catalog card: 3 3/8 in; 8.5725 cm
label: Measurements
content: box - from catalog card: 6 1/2 in x 6 1/2 in x 6 1/2 in; 16.51 cm x 16.51 cm x 16.51 cm