French Marble Clock: A Guide for Buyers, Collectors and Restorers with Hints on Dating and a List of Makers

The French Marble Clock is the definitive book on the subject, written by Nicolas M. Thorpe who is an enthusiastic collector. Years of research coupled with many visits to France and Belgium have made him a leading authority on these magnificent timepieces. The book's opening chapters reveal the history of the marble clock along with new information about its origins and makers. Photographs of factories, now demolished, are set alongside material from French archives. To many collectors the most valued part of the book will be the practical chapters. These take a detailed look at the famous pendule de Paris movement that is found in many French mantel clocks from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Sound and sensible advice is given about examining, dating and buying, together with a clear explanation of the function of parts of the movement.

Nicolas M. Thorpe was introduced to antiques as a schoolboy. In later years, unhappy about the lack of published information available, he decided to write a book that would provide both the specialist and collector with a definitive book on the subject.