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June 1990
The articles link to the specific page in a PDF optimised for speed. If you want the whole issue, you can download it here, but the files from earlier years can be quite large.
June 1990
Page 2
Page 2
This entry notes the untimely death of Dr. A.R. Somerville, the founding Chairman of the British Sundial Society. The comprehensive tribute article details his life, extensive career in organic chemistry and cancer research, his numerous hobbies including sundials and music, and his vital role in establishing the BSS.
The BSS and Members
June 1990
Page 2
Page 2
This section compiles news items from international sundial societies, reviewing their latest bulletins. It covers topics such as a computer program for dial calculations, an enigmatic Greek dial, a Swedish noon cannon, sundials in Turkey and Egypt, and book reviews from the Dutch, Catalonian, and German societies.
June 1990
Page 3
Page 3
Celebrates George Higgs' 90th birthday, highlighting his career as an electrical engineer and his significant contributions to dialling. It details his work restoring sundials for the National Trust for Scotland, his design of an analemmatic dial, and his collaboration with David Gullan on glass dials.
The BSS and Members
June 1990
Page 5
Page 5
This section features a letter from F. J. de Vries, offering a simplified single shift method for calculating declining/reclining sundials, to which George Higgs provides a magnanimous reply. It also includes various comments from members regarding the Bulletin's quality and content.
Mathematics of Dialling
June 1990
Page 6
Page 6
This report covers the inaugural British Sundial Society conference at Exeter College, Oxford. Key activities included the adoption of the Society's constitution, discussions on the Bulletin, a guided tour of Oxford's sundials, a members' exhibition, and lectures on diverse gnomonic subjects.
The BSS and Members
June 1990
Page 8
Page 8
This article explores historical sundial references within English Royal Gardens from the 16th to 18th centuries, drawing from detailed archives. It documents various sundials at Whitehall, Hampton Court, Nonsuch, St. James's, Richmond, and Oatlands, highlighting their construction, decoration, and key designers like John Marr.
Historical Dials
June 1990
Page 11
Page 11
This entry presents a series of suggestions and queries regarding the British Sundial Society's record form used for documenting sundials. Topics include standardizing photograph types, measurement units, gnomon angle recording, incorporating a scale, and strategies for gathering information from authorities.
The BSS and Members
June 1990
Page 12
Page 12
This preliminary report details the discovery of small bone/ivory pocket sundials during archaeological excavations in Hungarian fortresses, castles, and cloisters. It describes specific finds from Buda, Diosgyor, Poganyszentpeter, and Tata, discussing their Nuremburg origins and magnetic variation markings.
Dials: Portable, Historical Dials
June 1990
Page 14
Page 14
This article describes the 1975 discovery of a unique Greek sundial slab at Ai Khanoum, Afghanistan. Dating between 325 and 145 B.C., this polar dial, designed to indicate temporary hours, represents an evolutionary advancement in ancient gnomonics, despite a discrepancy between its marked latitude and discovery site.
Dials: Polar, Historical Dials, Dials: Scaphe
June 1990
Page 17
Page 17
This article explains the construction and practical application of Lambertian Circles in analemmatic dials. These circles, plotted from a specific centre through the foci of the hour point ellipse, determine the times of sunrise and sunset for any given day, applicable across different latitudes.
Dials: Analemmatic, How Sundials Work, Mathematics of Dialling
June 1990
Page 19
Page 19
This detailed explication describes the elaborate pyramidical sundial, designed by Francis Hall and erected in Whitehall's Privy Garden in 1669. It outlines the dial's numerous components, including various dials, globes, and glass bowls, highlighting its complex and ultimately impractical design in the English climate.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials
June 1990
Page 25
Page 25
A poem commemorating the first British Sundial Society conference held in Oxford in March 1990. It evokes the timeless atmosphere of the city and reflects on the gathering of seventy like-minded individuals to discuss sundials, blending history with gnomonic science.
The BSS and Members
June 1990
Page 26
Page 26
This entry reviews two publications: L'Ombra e il Tempo by Trinchero, Moglia, and Pavanello, and Catalogue de l'horologerie et instruments de precision by Chapiro, Meslin-Perrier, and Turner. It provides detailed commentary on their content, presentation, and utility for diallists.
Book Reviews
June 1990
Page 28
Page 28
This section lists various publications relevant to dialling, including a 19-page index to Antiquarian Horology, a booklet on The Sundials of Oxford Colleges, and an English translation of Oronce Fine's De Solaribus Horologiis. It also mentions The Ancient Sundials of Scotland and an article on Making Sundials.
Book Reviews
June 1990
Page 29
Page 29
This article describes the empirical method used to construct a double analemmatic noon mark on a south-facing, east-declining wall. Over a year, the author meticulously plotted sunspot positions at noon to permanently engrave the overlapping analemmas, illustrating the dedication required for direct solar observation.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Analemmatic, Sundial Design & Layout
June 1990
Page 31
Page 31
This discussion, referencing Wood's 1866 book, delves into the historical terminology of time-measuring instruments, the etymology of clock and early mentions of sundials in the Bible. It also includes Shakespearean references to dials and descriptions of antique watches incorporating sundials.
Book Reviews
June 1990
Page 32
Page 32
This section presents detailed data on fixed sundials compiled for Austria and the German Democratic Republic, categorized by historical period, type, and photographic availability. It serves as an invitation for international members to contribute information for a planned global sundial listing.
The BSS and Members