March 2012 page 7
John Davis

New Dials

This article describes a new 70 cm diameter stainless steel spherical dial by David Harber, unveiled at Balliol College, Oxford. It celebrates the thirtieth anniversary of women's admission to Balliol and includes features like calendar bands, tropic lines, and moon-dial scales.
Dials: Unusual, Construction Projects, Mottoes

March 2012 page 14
Mike Cowham

The Dials of Saint-Hippolyte-Du-Fort, France

This article describes a walking tour of the 23 (or more) sundials in Saint-Hippolyte-du-Fort, France. It highlights attractive examples, including an equatorial dial, a church dial, and several made by local ceramic artist C. TINGAUD, noting features like 24-hour systems and Provençal mottoes.
Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

March 2012 page 17
John Davis

An Unrecorded Stained Glass Dial

This article details a previously unrecorded 17th-century stained glass sundial. It's unusual for being a "great decliner" made for a latitude in the Scottish lowlands and for its unique motto, which suggests personal authorship rather than a known source.
Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials, Mottoes

June 2012 page 30
Peter Ransom

Postcard Potpourri 22 – Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow

This entry discusses a postcard depicting a sundial at Powerscourt's Italian Garden in Enniskerry, Co. Wicklow. The sundial, declining 50° E, bears the motto 'Horas Non Numero Nisi Serenas' (I only mark the sunny hours) and is listed in the Register as SRN 3933, showing hours only from 5am to 1pm.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

September 2012 page 29
Geoffrey Lane

The Tyttenhanger Sundial

This article details the rediscovery of a mid-17th century glass sundial at Tyttenhanger mansion, Hertfordshire, designed for Sir Henry Blount's arms and a 13-14 degree declination. It bears the motto "Lumen Umbra Dei" and is compared to similar dials by John Oliver, suggesting Oliver as its likely maker despite earlier attributions to Henry Gyles.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

December 2012 page 46
Aleksandr Boldyrev

Utile Et Dulce

The author recounts creating a limestone sundial for a customer near Moscow, inspired by John Tenniel's illustration for Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky. The dial, one English foot in diameter, measures local time and GMT + 4, and includes a scale for true solar time on the meridian of Lewis Carroll’s birthplace.
Construction Projects, Dials: Horizontal, Mottoes

March 2011 page 27
Klaus Eichholz

The History and Symbolism of Ludwig Hohenfeld’s 1596 Polyhedral Sundial

This article delves into the history of Ludwig Hohenfeld’s 1596 polyhedral sundial, identifying the maker and recipient (Prince Johann Friedrich of Württemberg). It also explores the rich symbolism of the images and maxims on the dial's faces, which convey themes of time and education.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials, Mottoes

December 2011 page 47
Sue Manston
John Ingram
Nick Nicholls
Frank King
John Foad
Anthony Turner

Readers’ Letters

This section contains letters from readers discussing various sundial topics. These include formulae for horizontal shadow length, a query about the oldest scientific sundial in the British Isles, sundials in family crests, proposed organisational changes within the BSS, and the historical transmission of scratch dials and water-clock functionality. It highlights ongoing member engagement and research interests.
Mathematics of Dialling, Historical Dials, The BSS and Members, Mottoes

March 2009 page 43
John Wall

Graveyard and other Memorial Sundials

This article explores sundials used as memorials, discussing their historical significance from Roman times. It details numerous examples, including tombstone dials, pillar-mounted dials in churchyards (e.g., St Mawnan's, Dryburgh Abbey), and war memorials. The article highlights epitaphs, theft incidents, and the symbolic connection between sundials and the passage of time.
Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials, Mottoes

June 2009 page 8
J. P. Lester

Reader's letter

A letter identifying the poet Anna Laetitia Barbauld as the source of an inscription, ‘Say not Good-night, but in some brighter clime Bid me Good-morning’, on a memorial sundial at Mawnan Smith, previously mentioned in the March 2009 Bulletin.
Mottoes, The BSS and Members

September 2009 page 15
Peter Ransom

Postcard potpourri 13: Rémalard, France

Features an early 20th-century postcard showing a sundial in Rémalard, Normandy, France. The postcard was used to guide a modern restoration of the dial. The article briefly describes the dial, its motto, and the author's visit to the Perche region, which is rich in sundials.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes, The BSS and Members

September 2009 page 16
Bryan Waites

Searching for lost time: Finding sundials in Rutland

Provides a historical survey of sundials in the county of Rutland, from early scratch dials on churches to more scientific vertical and horizontal dials on mansions and public buildings. The article highlights significant local examples, discusses common mottoes, and suggests a route for a sundial tour of the area.
Dials: Mass Dials, Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

December 2009 page 19
Henry Van Dyke

The sun-dial at Wells College (poem)

A short poem reflecting on time as shown by a sundial's shadow, which divides the past from the future, leaving only the present 'NOW' in one's hands. An editorial note identifies the dial's location and mentions the poem's frequent use on modern sundials.
Mottoes

June 2008 page 61
Peter Ransom

Postcard Potpourri 8 - Petts Wood, Chislehurst

This entry features a vertical sundial in Petts Wood, Chislehurst, dedicated as a memorial to William Willett, the campaigner for daylight saving hours. The dial, dated 1927, is adjusted for summer time and carries the motto 'HORAS NON NUMERO NISI ÆSTIVAS'.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

June 2008 page 88
John Foad

Lutyens’ Vertical Sundials

This article explores vertical sundials designed by architect Edwin Lutyens for his gardens and houses, including examples at The Salutation, The Pleasaunce, Overstrand Hall, Tigbourne Court, Hampstead Garden Suburb, Greywalls, and Mothecombe. It highlights his meticulous design, integration with architecture, and use of specific mottoes and materials.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes, Sundial Design & Layout

March 2007 page 39
Peter Ransom

Postcard Potpourri 3—Wilton Bridge, Ross on Wye

Peter Ransom describes a sundial on Wilton Bridge near Ross on Wye, using postcards from the early 1900s to note a change in its orientation, where the north face now points south. He also deciphers a motto from an old postcard that is no longer readable on the dial itself.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials, Mottoes

June 2007 page 81
Peter Ransom

Postcard Potpourri 4—Haulfre Gardens, Llandudno

This entry presents a postcard from 1935 showing a floral sundial in Haulfre Gardens, Llandudno. It describes the dial's mottoes (I count the bright hours only and Tempus fugit) and notes a potential omission in the afternoon hour lines, inviting further information on the dial's current existence.
Historical Dials, Mottoes

September 2007 page 112
Elizabeth Hutchings

Isle of Wight Sundial Mystery Solved

This article solves the mystery of a sundial pedestal at Farringford, Alfred, Lord Tennyson's home. It was designed by Mary Seton Watts, wife of the painter G.F. Watts, likely as a memorial for Tennyson and his wife Emily. The pedestal features carvings related to Tennyson's poem The Sundial and a motto.
Historical Dials, Mottoes, Dials: Scaphe

September 2007 page 123
Patrick Powers

The Strange Case of Half a Motto

This article describes an unrecorded, vertically split sundial on St Andrew's Church, Kenn, Devon, with its left half missing. Only a partial date (??83) and motto fragment (...eagum) are visible, which doesn't match known mottoes. The author seeks help from members to solve this mystery and complete the record.
Historical Dials, Mottoes

December 2007 page 178
Peter Ransom

Postcard Potpourri 6

This article describes a sundial featured on a postcard from People’s Park, Halifax. The vertical south dial, presented in 1873, includes mottoes in English, Greek, and Latin. The author notes its similarities to another dial by J. Smith in Albert Park, Middlesbrough, and dates the postcard image to the early 1900s based on its style.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

September 2006 page 99
John Davis
Harriet James

The Stanwardine Hall Dial

This article details the rediscovery of a rare 1560 English horizontal garden sundial, previously mentioned in Mrs Gatty's book and thought lost. It describes the dial's physical characteristics, unique mottoes, heraldic engravings, and the historical context of its ownership by the Corbet family, discussing its provenance, repairs, and original location.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials, Mottoes

September 2006 page 118
Ken Head

A Home-made Vertical Declining Dial

This article recounts the personal project of designing and constructing a vertical declining sundial for a golden wedding anniversary. It details the use of both graphical and computational methods for accurate delineation, the choice of materials, the incorporation of a brass heart-shaped nodus, and discusses the dial's performance and an inscribed motto.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Vertical, Mottoes, Sundial Design & Layout

December 2006 page 149
Harriet James

Wren’s Dial Remov’d

Harriet James recounts the history of Sir Christopher Wren's vertical sundial at All Souls College, Oxford, designed around 1658 with 'stepped transversals' for accuracy. The article details its relocation in 1877 and Dr. John Simmons's long-standing, unfulfilled campaign to restore it to its original position on the chapel, also touching on Wren's early interest in dialling.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

December 2006 page 176
Tony Wood

Poetic Interlude

Farringford, on the Isle of Wight, was the home of Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) and used to have a sundial. The dial plate itself has long gone but the pedestal remains and has two mottoes carved round it and on each of the four faces is a sculpture of ‘timekeeping’.
Historical Dials, Mottoes

December 2006 page 184
E. Th. Theodossiou

The Roman Sundial at Dion: the famous Macedonian sanctuary

E. Theodossiou describes a unique spherical Greco-Roman sundial discovered at Dion, Macedonia, dating to the 1st century AD. This well-preserved white marble artifact, found in a 'luxurious house', features eleven hour lines and inscriptions dedicating it from I. Granius Felix, a market inspector. It is a significant find for ancient Macedonian archaeology.
Dials: Hemispherical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

June 2005 page 61
Christopher Daniel

The Dandelion – Nature’s Sundial

A short, light-hearted poem likening the dandelion flower and seed head to a natural sundial, marking sunny hours by its bloom and dispersal of seeds.
Mottoes

March 2004 page 21
Frank Evans

Mrs. Alfred Gatty, Author of 'The Book of Sundials'

This article profiles Margaret Gatty (Mrs. Alfred Gatty), highlighting her diverse legacy in children's stories, seaweed studies, and her seminal work, 'The Book of Sundials'. It covers her early life, artistic talents, marriage, motherhood, and scientific interests, emphasising her dedication to collecting sundial mottoes which culminated in her famous book.
Historical Dials, Mottoes

March 2004 page 26
Tony Wood

Achtung - Sonnenuhr!

This article recounts an unusual incident from World War II where a German airman, Gottfried Treue, crash-landed at 'The Folly' in Gloucestershire in 1940 and broke his jaw on a sundial. The article describes the octagonal brass dial's features and its unique motto, "Time is Money," noting its current status as a "timeless memorial."
Historical Dials, Mottoes

December 2003 page 169
Tony Wood

The Housman Tomb and Sundial

A short study of the tomb sundial of poet A. E. Housman, reflecting on its layout, symbolism, and poetic associations.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials, Mottoes

September 2001 page 114
Mike Cowham

The Gatty Family - Part 3

The third part of a series on the Gatty family, focusing on the children of Mrs. Gatty, author of "Book of Sun-dials." It highlights their literary talents, particularly Juliana Horatia Ewing, an eminent children's writer. The article also discusses other authors influenced by Mrs. Gatty's seminal work, detailing various historical sundial books and mottoes.
Book Reviews, Historical Dials, Mottoes

February 1999 page 3
Alan Smith

Memento Mori

This article describes 17th-century carved sandstone tombstones in Kirkwall Cathedral, Orkney, which feature various symbols of death. One unique tombstone, that of Patrick Prince (1673), depicts a sundial among these emblems of mortality, which the author notes is the only sundial he saw in the Orkneys.
Mottoes

February 1999 page 38
Milutin Tadic

Three Sundials in Serbia

This article describes three wall sundials in Serbia: one in Strpce with historical day lines and a Cyrillic motto; one in Valjevo showing various international noons and birthdays of famous Serbians; and a rhyming motto dial in Lesak.
Dials: Vertical, Mottoes

February 1999 page 40
John Moir

Shadowy Secrets: The Lure of the Obscure (Part 2)

John Moir continues his exploration of hidden meanings and symbolism in sundials, presenting examples of 'false identity' dials like a bowl dial and a cat-shaped memorial. He delves into using logos, Morse code, and snooker ball colour codes, as well as analogies like railway lines and hair-lines, to enrich sundial design.
Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout, Equation of Time, Mottoes

June 1999 page 76
Peter Ransom

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

October 1999 page 108
Peter Ransom

Two Sun Dials in Andover, Hampshire

This article describes two sundials in Andover, Hampshire, both linked to William Hawkins Heath (1787-1861), a brewer and banker. One, dated 1846, is on London Street with the motto 'Respice Finem' and an equation of time table bears just the initials W.H.H. The second, dated 1833, is in poor condition on the Savoy Cinema (formerly Heath House) and bears his full name, solving the initials riddle. The article details Heath's family business and civic roles.
Dials: Vertical, Equation of Time, Historical Dials, Mottoes

February 1998 page 21
Alan Smith

A Golden Wedding Dial

A commemorative dial marking a golden wedding, covering layout, materials and the celebratory inscription, with remarks on siting and legibility.
Construction Projects, Dials: Vertical, Mottoes

October 1998 page 3
John Moir

Shadowy Secrets: The Lure of the Obscure (Part 1)

This article explores hidden meanings, symbolism, and imagery in sundials. It delves into devices like chronograms, palindromes, anagrams, rebuses, and "false identity" dials, presenting examples and puzzles (with solutions) related to cryptic inscriptions and designs.
Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials, Mottoes, Sundial Design & Layout

October 1997 page 11
Mike Cowham

Voice from the Past

This piece reproduces a 1914 newspaper clipping titled "Sun-Dials, a Plea for their Revival" which advocates for the return of sundials. It discusses the general use of sundials in ancient times (Babylon, Egypt, Hezekiah's dial), their construction (Byzantium eagle dial), the principle of the gnomon, common objections (blurred shadow, refraction, sunshine reliance), and various mottoes and famous public and private dials in London and England.
Mottoes

February 1996 page 50
Charles K. Aked

Sundial Mottoes

A curated selection of mottoes found on sundials, with commentary on their meanings and origins.
Mottoes

October 1996 page 44
Peter Ransom

Sundials on Postcards

An exploration of sundials featured on vintage postcards, considering their role as both functional objects and decorative motifs in popular culture.
Historical Dials, Mottoes

October 1995 page 41
David A. Young

The Story of Mrs. Gatty

An account of the life and writings of Margaret Gatty, a 19th-century author and sundial enthusiast. It covers her influence on mottoes and moral reflections expressed in dial inscriptions.
Mottoes

October 1994 page 23
Fred Sawyer

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

February 1992 page 40
Milutin Tadic

A Protest Sundial

This article describes a "protest sundial" unveiled in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia, on September 6, 1991. Carved into a granite slab, it features standard astronomical content but incorporates a modified sketch of the former Berlin Wall and a satirical drawing by Honoré Daumier depicting Chronos with a cannon. The creators named it a "protest sundial" as an acerbic comment on the gloomy everyday life in Yugoslavia, reflecting political commentary through gnomonics.
Dials: Vertical, Mottoes

October 1992 page 17
Walter Wells

Two Notable Sundial Makers of Leicestershire

This article profiles two Leicestershire sundial makers: William Pearson and Thomas Scott Elgood. Pearson, a rector and astronomer, constructed a precise direct vertical dial in 1834 for his observatory. Elgood, an engineer, crafted a decorative slate dial in 1897 for St. Martin's Church, featuring biblical mottoes and Evangelist symbols, focusing on elegance rather than scientific precision.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Mottoes

February 1990 page 5
Peter I. Drinkwater

Inscriptions for Sundials.

This article delves into the history and interpretation of mottoes (inscriptions) found on sundials, noting that their extensive use became popular with the advent of "modern" scientific sundials in the 15th century. It explores various Latin and Greek phrases, often derived from scriptures or classical texts, such as "TEMPVS VMBRA" and "SIC TRANSIT GLORIA MVNDI". The article also discusses how sundials often provide the "Emblem" for common mottoes and the inherent ambiguities in translating Latin inscriptions.
Mottoes

October 1990 page 30

Pages from F. Barker & Sons Ltd. Sundial Catalogue

This entry presents excerpts from a Francis Barker & Son Ltd. sundial catalogue, showcasing various dial types, prices, and services. It includes illustrations of horizontal dials, advice on placement, suitable mottoes, and other meteorological instruments, reflecting historical sundial offerings and sentiments.
Historical Dials, Mottoes

November 1989 page 7
John Parmenter

Helio-tropes, or New Posies for Sundials.

This article examines sundial inscriptions, or "posies," from a manuscript by John Parmenter, a priest from the 17th century. The article examines thirty-three sundial mottoes and provides interpretations of their meanings
Mottoes