Grandmother Clocks: An Elegant Add-on to Every Home

For all the women out there who think that it is kind of unfair for clocks to have a grandfather clock but not a grandmother one, rest easy for there is a female counterpart to this grand timepiece. Grandmother clocks may have emerged a little later than their male partners, but they do exist. These clocks that look like grandfather clocks but are actually smaller came about a few centuries after grandfather clocks were made. These are elegantly made time pieces you can choose to have in your home.

History of Grandmother Clocks

These clocks were said to have been made starting sometime in 1920 and up to the 1930s. Grandmother clocks are essentially slimmer, have an 8-inch or less brass dial, sport a dome top, and are usually spring driven compared to their larger male counterparts. Most of these clocks stand less than 6 feet and three inches tall, but some clock sellers and artisans tend to label a clock that has the above mentioned qualities as a grandmother clock even if the timepiece stands taller than 6 feet. These clocks are essentially smaller versions of grandfather clocks and are said to have more feminine-looking features as compared to their male partners.

Where to Find Grandmother Clocks

While most floor clock you find online is called a grandfather clock, there are certain pieces that can be easily called grandmother clocks based on their features and sizes. When a clock stands less than 6 feet tall or if it has a dial that is smaller than 10 inches or if it has chimes, you can easily label that clock a grandmother clock. There are a number of sites you can try and find these longcase clocks in, but you will be a bit hard-pressed to find the female version of the grandfather clock from them. Most of these online stores label everything that has a longcase a “grandfather clock” even if they are less than 80 inches or 6 feet in height. You will simply have to go by your own judgment on how you will call your longcase clock, be it grandfather or grandmother, according to its features.

Where to Use Your Grandmother Clock

Most people would see longcase clocks like grandfather clocks in large rooms or in hallways where they exude a certain air of grandness or stateliness. You can try and do the same for grandmother clocks. However, with the smaller frames of these female versions of the grandfather clock, you can actually use them in smaller rooms and upstairs hallways. The smaller build of the grandmother clock gives it more versatility and enables you to use it in other places other than the ones that most people are used to. You can place a grandmother clock in a daughter’s bedroom or in your own bedroom to give that room a touch of the bygone eras. You can also put a grandmother clock in your study, your living room, or in the dining room to complement the wood furniture you might have there.