Hogarth and the Iconography of Time

Hogarth and the Iconography of Time SAMUEL L. MACEYbaZYXWVUTSRQPONMLKJIHGFEDCBA If, in M a y n a rd M a c k ’s te rm s, w e th in k o f th e C ity in c o n tra ­ d istin c tio n to th e G a rd e n , th e n H o g a rth is c le a rly th e a rtist o f th e C ity . A s o n e m ig h t e x p e c t, b o th th e d e n o ta tio n a n d th e c o n n o ta ­ tio n in H o g a rth ’s w o rk re fle c t th e ra d ic a l ch an g es ta k in g p lace in L o n d o n life. T h e m o st in flu e n tia l te c h n o lo g ic a l ch an g e w as p ro b a­ b ly th e a c h ie v e m e n t o f m e c h a n ic a l tim e k e e p in g su ffic ie n tly a c c u ­ ra te fo r th e n e e d s o f m o d e rn u rb a n m a n . R e la te d to th is w e re th e b a tc h p ro d u c tio n a n d d iv isio n o f la b o u r m e th o d s th e n b e in g in tro d u c e d in to th e m a n u fa c tu re o f c lo c k s a n d w a tc h e s. S o m e o f th e k e y d a te s are th e u se o f th e p e n d u lu m in c lo c k s fro m 1 6 5 7 , a n d th e u se o f th e b a la n c e sp rin g in w a tc h e s fro m a b o u t 1 6 7 4 . U n til th e th ird q u a rte r o f th e se v e n te e n th c e n tu ry , c lo c k s a n d w a tc h e s w e re e x p e n siv e a n d d e c o ra tiv e to y s. T h e p e n d u lu m c lo c k p ro v id e d th e first re a so n a b ly a c c u ra te m e th o d o f m e c h a n ic a l tim e­ k e e p in g a t a p o in t in h isto ry re a d y fo r a c c e le ra te d u rb a n iz a tio n . Britten's Old Clocks and Watches in tro d u c e s its c h a p te r o n th e p e rio d as fo llo w s: T h e p re se n t c h a p te r c o v e rs p e rh a p s th e m o st im p o rta n t p e rio d in h o ro lo g ic a l h isto ry . In th e sp a c e o f a q u a rte r o f a c e n tu ry a c c u ­ ra te tim e k e e...