Page 54

Editorial

Introduces the June 1999 issue of the BSS Bulletin, highlighting a mix of historical, current, and future-oriented articles. It mentions past objects like Saxon dials and the Nottingham Meridian Dial, present-day topics such as making a sundial from a satellite dish, and future-looking content like 'Sundials on the Internet' and a restored wall dial. The editor particularly enjoyed 'The Scaphe of Carthage'.
The BSS and Members

Page 55

A Meridian Dial in a Subscription Library, Nottingham

This article describes a rare 1834 meridian dial in Nottingham's Bromley House Subscription Library. It features a brass strip on the first floor, which was covered for 150 years. The dial was used to ascertain Local Apparent Noon and is complemented by two longcase clocks with inscribed time differences. Efforts are underway for its partial restoration, noting its excellent condition in fine surroundings.
Dials: Noon Lines, Historical Dials, Restoration projects

Doug Bateman

Page 62

Noon Marks and the Projection of the Analemma, with some New Versions of these Old Instruments

This article explores noon marks and the analemma, detailing how the sun's daily and annual motion is used to determine local noon and time of year. It discusses simple horizontal and vertical noon marks, the use of aperture gnomons, and the historical and modern application of the analemma for time correction. New designs for polar and vertical analemmatic noon marks, including sculptural forms, are also presented.
Dialling Tools, Dials: Noon Lines, Equation of Time, Sundial Design & Layout

Allan A. Mills

Page 70

Putting the Shepherd's Dyal on the Map

This article investigates a hillside sundial, known as the "Shepherd's Dyal," in Settle, Yorkshire, depicted in a 1720 sketch by Samuel Buck. It examines the dial's creation, disappearance between 1750 and 1779, and functionality. The analysis suggests the dial, with stone hour markers, was likely laid out empirically at the Summer Solstice, making it useful as a time-keeper only for a few weeks around mid-summer.
Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials

John Moir

Page 72

Dial Dealings

This article reviews recent sundial sales at Christies and Sotheby's, highlighting several exciting and rare items. It describes five ivory diptych dials, an inclining dial by Chapotot, an astronomical ring dial attributed to Louvain (c.1550), a medieval astrolabe from the 14th century, a mechanical equinoctial dial by J. J. Knittel, a scaphe dial by Georg Hartmann (1547), and unique dials by Timothee Collet (c.1675).
Historical Dials

Mike Cowham

Page 76

China Sundials

This article describes collecting crested china sundials, small porcelain souvenirs popular in Victorian and Edwardian times, which feature coats of arms. The author details his collection, including pieces from Carlton China and Willow Art, noting their dimensions, gnomon angles, and inaccuracies for specific locations. He also shares a motto found on one piece and resources for other collectors.
Historical Dials, Mottoes

Peter Ransom

Page 77

Satellites and Sundials

This article explores the unexpected link between satellite dishes and sundials, including the use of knowledge of the sun's movement to align satellite dishes to satellites. It delves into the geometry of satellite dishes as a basis for sundial design and discusses practical details for using a satellite dish into a sundial, including gnomon options and microwave-transparent planar dial face materials.
DIY Sundial Projects, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout

John Davis

Page 81

Readers' Letters

Includes various reader contributions. M. Arnaldi discusses the Benedictine Rule and Anglo-Saxon liturgy regarding monastic prayer times. A.O. Wood questions the commonality of Saxon dial designs and suggests a square dial at Stowell Church is Saxon. James Richard reflects on his long-standing interest in sundials and the BSS. J.P. Lester corrects an error in 'King's England' about a sundial at St. Mary's, Radcliffe. K.H. Head offers information on a 'repeating caliper' and seeks an internationally agreed system for gnomonic symbols. Alan Smith clarifies details of a Memento Mori sundial on a tombstone.
The BSS and Members

Page 82

Editor's Notes

This section covers various announcements and corrections. It invites members to a Mass Dial Safari in the East Midlands. It includes corrections for photograph attributions and orientations in previous BSS Bulletins. It also provides corrected attributions for the cat dial memorial to Noel Ta Bois and the Hitchin Museum dial, and announces British Museum events related to the total eclipse.
The BSS and Members

Page 83

Sundials in Anglo-Saxon England: Part 2, The Early Period-Escomb and Corhampton

This article examines two well-preserved Anglo-Saxon sundials at Escomb (County Durham, 7th-8th century) and Corhampton (Hampshire, late 7th century). It details their unique designs, locations, historical context, and possible symbolic meanings for newly converted Christians, suggesting their primary purpose was not necessarily precise time measurement but rather religious instruction and marking services.
Dials: Mass Dials, Historical Dials

David Scott

Page 87

The Scaphe of Carthage

This article describes a rare eyelet-hole scaphe sundial discovered at a Roman villa in Carthage, dating to 1st century AD or later. It details the marble artefact's exterior, including oak-leaf decoration and a fixing wedge, and its highly polished interior with seven non-concentric curves and eleven hour lines. Unique inscriptions in Greek and Latin Julian month names, including 'Augustus' (dating it after 9 BC), and zodiac signs mark its exceptional nature.
Dials: Scaphe, Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials

Paul Gagnaire

Page 91

Sundials on the Internet - The First Three Years

This report chronicles the growth and impact of the "Sundials on the Internet" website (www.sundials.co.uk) over its first three years, sponsored by the BSS and NASS. It details the site's rapid growth in page views, content expansion, and design evolution. The article highlights the site's educational contribution, especially through its projects page for schoolchildren, and outlines future objectives like language translations and new sundial trails.
The BSS and Members

Piers Nicholson

Page 92

Sundials by Francis Barker & Son

This article investigates sundials manufactured by Francis Barker & Son, a renowned London-based firm (1850-1926) specializing in horizontal garden dials. It describes specific examples, like one at the RHS Wisley, and discusses their promotion through "advertising tie-ins" in the Horological Journal. The article highlights two notable designs: one showing distances to various places and another displaying local time at different latitudes globally, showcasing their quality and elaborate engraving.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials

David J. Boullin

Page 96

Vertical Dials - A Method of Estimating Their Declination

This technical article presents a method for estimating the declination of vertical sundials, particularly useful for dials high on buildings. Rather than measure the 'substyle distance' (angle between the gnomon and the noon line) one reads off the 'time' on the dial the gnomon is pointing to. This can be looked up in a precalculated table for a given latitude to give the degrees of declination of the dial.
Dialling Tools, Dials: Vertical, Mathematics of Dialling

David A. Young

Page 98

Restoration of a Vertical East Declining Sundial

Details the restoration of the author's first vertical east declining sundial, originally made in 1986. It describes the process of stripping old paint, repainting, and redrawing the dial face with hour, equinox, and solstice lines. Challenges in transferring designs and painting fine lines are discussed, along with the decision to use black numerals for better contrast and adding a computer-drawn Equation of Time graph.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Vertical, Restoration projects, Sundial Design & Layout

Mike Cowham

Page 99

Lieut. Commander Richard (Dick) Andrewes DSC.R.N.

This tribute remembers Lieut. Commander Richard "Dick" Andrewes, a BSS member known for his wartime naval service, mathematical degree, and enthusiasm for dialling. He designed a unique dial for his home and an analemmatic dial for a conservation centre. He is particularly remembered for delineating a scaphe dial at the Horniman Museum, ingeniously overcoming its organic shape by using a marble to find the bowl's lowest point.
Dials: Analemmatic, Dials: Scaphe, The BSS and Members

David Young

Page 100

Some Early Sundials of Northumbria

This article classifies seventeen Anglo-Saxon sundials in Northumbria, categorizing them into four types based on design evolution from the 7th-8th century onwards. It details specific dials at Escomb, Dalton-le-Dale, Staindrop, Hart, and others, describing their physical characteristics, historical context, and erosion. The authors suggest a decline in construction delicacy over time and emphasize the need for conservation of these antiquities.
Historical Dials, Dials: Mass Dials

Frank Evans
Rosemary Evans

Page 104

Derivations

This technical article provides formulas for the Equation of Time and the Sun's declination throughout the year, using the day number as a variable. The derived values are shown graphically and noted to be close to published tables, aiming to provide a clear understanding of these fundamental gnomonic concepts.
Equation of Time, Mathematics of Dialling

Ken Head