Clock by C. F. A. Voysey, England, 1903

V&A — Summary

Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857-1941) was a major architect, designer and typographer of the British Arts & Crafts movement. From 1874 to 1880, Voysey worked as a pupil in the office of J.P. Seddon, then briefly as an assistant to George Devey. In 1882 he set up his own office, but concentrated at first on decorative work rather than architecture, selling his first designs for fabrics and wallpaper in 1883. In 1884, he joined the Art Workers’ Guild and his first house was not built until 1888. In 1891 Voysey designed a house in Bedford Park. Known as the ‘Grey House’ it stands out from its neighbours, by this time 15 years old and in a style which was rapidly being superseded, as a foretaste of Voysey’s more uncompromising style, soon to supplant the ‘Shavian’ Queen Anne as the most potent influence on urban and suburban development. In 1900, he completed his own house, ‘The Orchard’ at Chorley Wood in Hertfordshire, for which he designed much of the furniture, the decoration and the fittings. His characteristic style, simple linear and with almost no surface decoration, was to be widely copied in ‘artistic’ interiors of the period. In 1924, he was made Master of the Art Workers; Guild. His work was known in Europe through his participation in a number of exhibitions; he showed architectural work in the Salons de la Libre Esthetique in 1894 and 1897 and he also exhibited alongside the Glasgow School ‘Four’ at Liege in 1895 and in Turin in 1902.

V&A — Physical description

The design of this clock case has an architectural form, reminiscent of a clock tower as the one on the stable entrance at the house for Julian Sturgis near Puttneham, Surrey, designed by Voysey, 1896-7. The top of ogee form, surmounted by a plain, spike finial and with a steeped edge, the four side panels plain with an undulating lower edge, each corner supported by a plain pillar with a flared foot. The circular dial of copper, the numerals substituted with the letters TEMPUS FUGIT + (Time Flies), originally gilded, the hands of copper, the minute hand terminates with a pierced, heart shaped motif, the minutes marked by a row of raised dots around the circumference. The back plate has a rectangular door with three, pierced holes in a triangular formation, the door supported on strap work hinges of iron, the latch a stylised scroll with the door pull a plain, copper wire loop. The pendulum movement has a rectangular back plate of brass inscribed with the legend; CAMERER KUSS & C O / 56 NEW OXFORD STREET / LONDON.

V&A — Object history

This clock was owned by Mrs Ella Annesley Donat, the first wife of the actor Robert Donat and the daughter of C.F.A. Voysey, prior to it being purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum. There is a reference in Voysey's address book under Tingey: 'Founder for casting of / clock W.C. Barker / Stood Kent.' which suggests that the aluminium clock cases were probably cast by Barker's foundry.