1830s German Longcase Flötenuhr Clock

Carnegie-Stout Public Library's remarkable grandfather clock, a longcase Flötenuhr (flute or organ clock), was made in Germany circa 1832. The clock was donated to the library in 1919 by the estate of Alleen Langworthy Massey, a descendant of early settlers of Dubuque who prospered here in lead mining and business.

Rather than chimes, this grandfather clock has a barrel organ with bellows and wood pipes which produce delightful calliope-like music. The unique mechanism plays eight different songs, while the four animated figures at the top dance back and forth.

The grandfather clock is in working order and still keeps time, but to protect its fragile components it is not often wound or played. It was restored in 2014 by Behind The Times Clocks of Rockford, Illinois.

Watch and listen as the clock strikes twelve in this video:

The clock's wood pipes, pin barrel, and movement:

See more photos at Behind The Times Clocks' Facebook page.