Page 2

Dialogue – De Zonnewijzerkring, La Busca de Paper

This article reviews recent issues of two sundial society publications: "De Zonnewijzerkring" (Dutch) and "La Busca de Paper" (Spanish/Catalan). It highlights the content, organization, and accessibility of "De Zonnewijzerkring", noting its extensive knowledge base despite being in Dutch, and expresses a wish for English summaries and better production quality. For "La Busca de Paper", it discusses specific articles on a reliquary sundial and sundials in Formentera, and notes the discontinuation of English translations due to low subscription numbers, despite improvements.

Page 7

The Queen's College Dial, Cambridge

This article describes the large painted sundial in the Old Court of Queens' College, Cambridge. It discusses its history, including early records, refurbishments, and frequent repainting due to paint deterioration. The article refutes the tradition that Sir Isaac Newton designed the dial, details its features like the gilt sun-burst gnomon, Roman numerals, zodiacal signs, and scales for day duration and sunrise time. It also clarifies that it's not a "Moon dial" but has a moon table of dubious utility, and suggests improvements for future restoration for better clarity and accuracy.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials

Charles K. Aked

Page 10

The Gate of Honour, Cambridge

This article details the history and restoration of the Gate of Honour at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, which features six sundials. It covers the gate's construction, early repairs and repainting efforts, and its decay over centuries due to porous stone and vandalism. The focus shifts to the 1958-1959 quatercentenary restoration, during which the original painted dials were replaced with expensive bronze plates with enamel fillings. The article also mentions a separate pillar in Caius Court that once housed sixty dials, emphasizing the craftsmanship and decorative nature of these historical timepieces.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials, Restoration projects

Charles K. Aked

Page 14

The Augsburg Dials

This article explores the history and characteristics of sundials produced in Augsburg, Germany, particularly from the 17th century onwards. It notes Augsburg's reputation for metalworking and clockmaking, which influenced the development of ornate and complicated early sundials. The article describes the mass production of "universal equinoctial dials" from around 1700, their common design, and the incorporation of compasses and latitude lists for European towns. It also highlights finer versions made by Johann Martin and Johann Willebrand, including unique "crescent dials" and "string gnomon dials," and provides a list of known Augsburg sundial makers.
Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Portable, Historical Dials

John Moore

Page 18

A Universal Nomographic Sundial

This article introduces a new sundial design that combines the simplicity of a Capuchin dial with the universality of a Regiomontanus dial through the use of nomograms. It explains the principles of subtraction and multiplication nomograms, demonstrating how they are integrated into the dial's coordinate system to calculate solar declination and latitude. The article details how to read the time by aligning a thread and bead, and notes its ability to show sunrise/sunset times and day length. The design aims for an acceptably accurate, universal dial that is easier to construct than other universal types.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dialling Tools, Mathematics of Dialling

Fred Sawyer

Page 22

The Meridian of the Basilica of San Petronio in Bologna (Part II)

This article, the second part of a series, details the reconstruction and ongoing maintenance of the meridian line in the Basilica of San Petronio, Bologna. It describes Eustachio Zanotti's 1776 restoration, which aimed to retain Cassini's original dimensions while improving stability with new materials. The article highlights the meridian's function in accurately determining the vernal equinox and its use for astronomical observations and calendar correction. It also covers Federigo Guarducci's 1904 inspection confirming the instrument's excellent preservation and stability, and discusses an adjacent 1758 mechanical "equation clock" used to reconcile true solar time with mean time.
Dials: Noon Lines, Historical Dials

Giovanni Paltrinieri

Page 23

Mass Dial Group Meeting

This article describes the British Sundial Society's Mass Dial Group meeting held in Malton, North Yorkshire, in June 1994. It provides a light-hearted account of the attendees, their shared interest in dials, and their expedition to view numerous Anglo-Saxon and scratch dials in ancient churches. The author highlights the urgency of recording these crumbling historical artefacts due to environmental deterioration. The article also mentions a humorous discovery related to Shakespeare's "shepherds' dials" and references individuals like Robert Sylvester, Edward Martin (Mass Dial Group Co-ordinator), and Mrs. Alfred Gatty.
The BSS and Members

Frank Evans

Page 23

Contemporary Mottos for Sundials

This article offers a collection of contemporary mottos suitable for sundials, aiming to add to existing literature which often focuses on mortality or religious themes. The author presents various thought-provoking quotations from diverse sources, including Pierre Kohler, Heraclitus, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Emily Dickinson, Carl Jung, Omar Khayyam, Robert Boyle, and others. The purpose is to provide fresh, insightful inscriptions that capture different facets of time, nature, and human experience, encouraging readers to appreciate the philosophical depth that a motto can bring to a sundial's design and message.
Mottoes

Fred Sawyer

Page 24

The Albert Park, Middlesbrough, Sundial

This article details the unusual vertical direct south sundial in Albert Park, Middlesbrough, a collaborative achievement designed by John Smith and commissioned by H.W.F. Bolckow in 1876. It highlights the dial's numerous literary quotations in four languages, reflecting Victorian spiritual sentiments, and its unique feature of showing time in New York, Melbourne, and Albert Park. The article discusses the dial's dilapidated state, the existence of an almost exact wooden copy (possibly a prototype), and delves into John Smith's eccentric life as a self-taught farmer-astronomer-diallist, tracing his earlier sundial creations and inventions that culminated in this masterpiece.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials

John Wall

Page 29

The Gregorian Reformation of the Calendar

This article explains the historical context and mechanisms of the Gregorian calendar reform, initiated by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 to correct discrepancies in the Julian calendar, particularly concerning the accurate determination of Easter. It traces the problem back to the Council of Nicea in AD 325 and the slight error in the solar year's length as calculated by Sosigenes. The reform involved dropping ten days and introducing a new leap year rule. The article also discusses the varying adoption rates across European countries, initial doubts within the Vatican (leading to the construction of a meridian line to verify accuracy), and briefly touches upon modern discussions regarding calendar improvements.
Equation of Time

Girolamo Fantoni

Page 32

Windows and Balconies as Simple Sundials

This article explores the concept of using shadows cast by window sills, jambs, and parapets on floors and walls as simple sundials. It explains the gnomonic principles involved, detailing how the moving "shadow straight line" can indicate the hour. The author provides formulas and diagrams for calculating the shadow's position based on latitude, window sill height and orientation (declination), solar altitude, and azimuth. It outlines the process of drawing date and hour lines, noting practical considerations like difficult-to-read periods for certain sill orientations, and suggests applications for terraces and balconies, or even for single hour lines with time-zone and Equation of Time corrections.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout

Girolamo Fantoni

Page 35

Computer Program

This section provides an update on the availability of the British Sundial Society's (BSS) sundial program. It announces that the 5¼" disc version is no longer available, but the 3½" discs can still be purchased from the editor, with profits supporting BSS funds. The program runs on IBM compatible systems and requires a graphic adapter for drawing. It also mentions a simpler program by Mr. David Young and another by Mr. H.C. Parr (no longer available in disc form), and suggests the future formation of a group to address specialized aspects of dialling and pool ideas for computer use among members.
Dialling Tools, The BSS and Members

Page 36

Lunar Distances

This article discusses the historical method of determining longitude at sea using lunar distances, especially before accurate marine chronometers became widely available. It explains the principle of simultaneous observation of lunar positions relative to stars or planets, and the complex calculations required to correct for various astronomical factors. The article traces the development of lunar ephemerides (tables) from early proposals to the precise tables published by Tobias Mayer in the 18th century and their adoption in national nautical almanacs. It also describes the instruments used, like the sextant, and the intricate process sailors followed, noting the eventual decline of the method with the advent of accurate chronometers and radio communication.
Historical Dials

René R.-J. Rohr

Page 40

A Sunrise-Sunset Watch

This article describes a personal account of owning and researching a sunrise-sunset watch, a type of astronomical timepiece that became fashionable in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The author, George Foster, details acquiring his watch in 1946 and his subsequent efforts to document it, including comparison with a similar watch owned by Oscar T. Lang. The article provides a detailed description of the watch's dial, which features indications for sunrise, sunset, month, day, hours, and minutes, with a gilt sun on a wheel and blued steel shutters. It also mentions the watch's internal mechanism and the general utility of such watches for travel planning.
Historical Dials

George Foster

Page 41

Vertical Dial Furniture

This article focuses on the additional informational elements, or "furniture," found on vertical sundials beyond just hour lines. It uses the Queens' College dial as an example of a dial rich in such information (altitude, azimuth, zodiac, sunrise time, day length). The author explains how to calculate and display various furniture types, including equinox and solstice declination lines, altitude and azimuth lines, and monthly declination lines, all based on the shadow cast by a "nodus" on the dial. The methodology involves transforming the vertical dial to an equivalent horizontal dial for simplified calculations and discusses the practical aspects of displaying such data.
Dials: Vertical, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout

Peter J. Meadows

Page 43

Compendium 3

This section reviews Issue No. 3 of the "Journal of the North American Sundial Society" (NASS) from August 1994. It highlights key articles within the NASS journal, including "A Choice of Sundial Books" by Ross McCluney, a condensed article on transparent window dials, and a piece on the "Fuzziness of Solar Shadows." It also mentions an article on the William and Mary sundial, greetings from NASS to BSS, and news of a reprint of Margaret Gatty's "The Book of Sun-Dials." The review concludes by detailing NASS membership costs and contact information, emphasizing the journal's value as a "treasury of dialling information."
Book Reviews

Page 44

Readers Letters

This section comprises several letters from readers addressing various topics. James Richard discusses a "foolish servant" illustration, explaining that a dial showing anticlockwise figures and equally spaced hours for a full revolution indicates a southern hemisphere, South Pole location using temporal hours. J.R. Bradshaw clarifies the Greek and Latin inscriptions on Kircher's Sunflower Clock, providing transliterations and interpretations. Andrew Ogden describes a recently discovered medieval grave marker in Ireland that resembles a polar sundial base and post, inquiring about missing parts. The letters provide insights into dial interpretation, historical inscriptions, and new discoveries.
The BSS and Members

Page 46

Book Reviews - Geometry in Motion, Oxford Sundials

This section presents two book reviews. The first, "Geometry in Motion" by H. Stephen Stewart, analyses Christ Church in Weems, Virginia, as a comprehensive solar dial incorporating astronomical and calendrical information into its architecture, showcasing the designer's meticulous integration of solar principles. The second, "Oxford Sundials" by Margaret Stanier, provides an outline of sundials in Oxford, categorising them by access and geographical groups. It covers types, the difference between Oxford solar and clock time, and notes the significant collection of stained glass sundials. Both reviews offer insights into historical and architectural dialling, though the latter points out some photographic and mapping shortcomings.
Book Reviews

Alan Smith

Page 47

The Geometry of Sunlight

This article, originally prepared for architecture students, explains the principles governing the sun's position in the sky and its application to architectural sunlighting studies. It details how factors like geographical latitude, time of year (solar declination), and time of day influence sunlight. The article provides key solar orbit equations, introduces practical tools like the matchbox sundial and heliodon for simulating sun movement, and describes methods for visualizing sunpaths. It also discusses architectural applications such as checking sunlight penetration around buildings and through windows, and designing fins and canopies for solar protection, emphasizing the importance of understanding sunlight geometry in building design.
Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout

John Lynes

Page 49

Compendium - Bulletin of the North American Sundial Society

This entry is essentially a brief notice about the "Compendium" journal, which is the Bulletin of the North American Sundial Society (NASS). It reiterates contact and membership information (also found in the Compendium 3 review on page 43), noting that it is a new publication welcomed by the BSS Editor. The description suggests that this publication is expected to become a valuable "treasury of dialling information and computer techniques," making it an essential resource for those interested in sundials.
Book Reviews

Page 50

The Late George Robert Higgs

This section serves as an "In Memoriam" for George Robert Higgs, a respected and enthusiastic member of the British Sundial Society. It features eulogies from his son, John Higgs, and close friend, David Gulland, along with an appreciation by Anne Somerville and an editor's note. The tributes highlight Higgs' extraordinary life, his quest for knowledge, his talent for design and invention (particularly in sundial making and restoration across Scotland), his warm personality, and his sharp intellect, which remained active even at 93. It recounts anecdotes demonstrating his humour, practical skills, and dedication to sundials and the BSS.
The BSS and Members