Thanks to smart watches and smartphones, analog clocks aren’t quite as common a sight as they once were. One that still manages to make an impression is the grandfather clock, a vertically imposing timekeeper that feels more like furniture. A pendulum marks time; the case — often ornate — serves as a conversation piece. What does a clock of this type have to do with grandfathers? The term “grandfather clock” has very little to do with any kind of familial inspiration. The first known reference to a grandfather clock came in 1876, when songwriter Henry Clay Work composed a piece of sheet music titled “Grandfather’s Clock.” The song tells the story of a clock “taller by half than the old man himself” that “stood 90 years on the floor.” The time piece “kept the time, with a soft and muffled chime” as his grandfather began slipping away, but “stopped short, never to go again” when he passed on. Prior to the song, grandfather clocks were known as long case or tall case clocks. Initially, such clocks were the purview of wealthier classes, as the labor and materials needed necessitated a hefty price tag. In Pennsylvania, German settlers considered it a sign of success and prosperity. Over time, however, the clocks began appearing in a growing number of homes and were soon framed as family heirlooms. Their status was probably enabled in part by their permanence — a grandfather clock is no easy thing to relocate — as well as their workmanship.
