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Museum object · Slavery and Freedom Objects

Pocketwatch inscribed to William Lloyd Garrison from George Thompson

1850

London, England, United Kingdom, Europe

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Source catalog description

This description refers to material held by Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Visual details below describe the original material.

An inscribed gold pocket watch presented to William Lloyd Garrison. The watch has a half hunter case, with spring hinged glass cover over the dial and a hinged gold lid over the back, protecting the inscription and winding square. The dial is painted white with roman numerals and fleur de lis shaped watch hands. There is a smaller 60-second dial partly obscuring the "VI" of the larger dial. The two hinged covers open via a button on the crown and bow, positioned above the "XII" of the dial. The engraved inscription on the back of the watch is decorative and reads [Presented by / GEORGE THOMPSON, M.P. / on behalf of him / self and others / to / WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, / intrepid and uncompromising / Friend of the Slave: / in commemoration of the / TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF / THE LIBERATOR / Boston / January 1st, 1851] in several text sizes and fonts.

Sources & collection details

Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture — original record ↗

Source collection ↗

Catalog metadata · CC0 · Source checked 2026-10-13

Catalog reference: 2014.115.6.1

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