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February 2006
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.
February 2006
Page 1
Page 1
This editorial highlights new features in the Bulletin, such as the title on the spine and the inclusion of colour pages. It commends Mike Cowham’s advice on sundial photography and draws attention to historical articles, particularly Herr Hofbauer’s lecture and John Wall’s piece on church orientation, while encouraging all readers to contribute.
February 2006
Page 2
Page 2
This article describes the unveiling of a memorial sundial for Martin Suggett at the World Museum, Liverpool. It details the dial's design, crafted from Welsh slate with a stainless steel gnomon, featuring a relief based on the 7th-century Kingston Brooch. The sundial is calibrated to show local Liverpool time, accompanied by an explanatory leaflet for visitors.
Dials: Vertical
February 2006
Page 3
Page 3
This piece addresses the challenges of photographing high-mounted or horizontal sundials. The author presents a practical solution involving an elevated digital camera on an extended tripod with a remote shutter release, enabling bird's eye views while ensuring the photographer's safety and optimal framing without including themselves in the shot.
Dialling Tools, DIY Sundial Projects
February 2006
Page 5
Page 5
This review praises Sundials of the British Isles. a comprehensive hardback featuring over 500 high-quality colour photographs. Written by 30 authors across 12 regional chapters, it covers diverse topics like regional dial styles, early British dials, stained-glass examples, and portable sundials, serving as a valuable travel guide and resource for enthusiasts.
Book Reviews
February 2006
Page 6
Page 6
Drawing on Sappho's poem, this article explores the history of time measurement, from ancient astronomical principles to modern atomic clocks. It examines the evolution of the term 'hour,' different timekeeping systems (Babylonic, Italic, canonical, equal), and how celestial phenomena like moon phases and the Pleiades were interpreted to determine time and seasons.
How Sundials Work, Historical Dials, Dials: Nocturnals
February 2006
Page 14
Page 14
This article provides instructions for assembling and using a moon dial. It explains how to determine the moon's phase using the Golden Number and how to rotate the dial to find the current time. The author notes that this dial relies on estimating the moon’s direction rather than casting a visible shadow, due to the moon's light intensity.
Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Unusual, Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Nocturnals
February 2006
Page 16
Page 16
This article investigates the east-west orientation of UK churches and its implications for vertical sundials. It discusses historical reasons, such as facing Jerusalem or equinox sunrise, alongside practical influences like site topography that cause deviations. The author advises checking a church's orientation carefully before installing new sundials.
Dials: Vertical, Sundial Design & Layout, Historical Dials
February 2006
Page 18
Page 18
This article details the author's successful endeavour to create origami sundials without cutting or tearing, describing three unique designs. It provides step-by-step instructions for an equatorial dial, explaining the geometric principles behind folding hour lines and constructing a perpendicular gnomon.
Dials: Equatorial, Mathematics of Dialling, Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects
February 2006
Page 20
Page 20
This section contains various reader contributions. Hal Brandmaier and Tony Wood discuss vector methods for sundial delineation. Patrick Powers and Douglas Bateman exchange views on a longitude error on the Kew Garden Cross Dial inscription. Norman Darwood briefly comments on the potential effects of changes in Earth's rotation on sundials.
Dials: Horizontal, Mathematics of Dialling, Equation of Time
February 2006
Page 22
Page 22
This article highlights the ongoing use of portable sundials, observed during a visit to Kentwell Hall. A re-enactor demonstrated a modern reproduction, similar to those found on the Mary Rose, to tell time within a Tudor setting. The piece celebrates the enduring relevance and practical application of these historical timekeeping instruments.
Dials: Portable, Historical Dials
February 2006
Page 23
Page 23
This article documents the restoration and analysis of an octagonal slate sundial plate from 1843, made by D. O’Connell for Revd John Pratt of Enniskean. It details the dial's engraved features, including an equation of time ring, gnomon restoration, and a geometric analysis confirming the remarkable accuracy of its construction for the specified latitude.
Dials: Horizontal, Sundial Design & Layout, Restoration projects, Historical Dials
February 2006
Page 26
Page 26
This instalment, the third in a series, presents the complex mathematical methods for delineating declining-inclining sundials using vector analysis. It provides detailed equations for calculating the shadow plane components, hour and declination lines, sub-style angles, and gnomon angles, building upon two previous articles.
Dials: Vertical, Mathematics of Dialling, Sundial Design & Layout
February 2006
Page 28
Page 28
This article reviews notable sundial sales from 2005 auctions and catalogues. Featured items include diptych dials, astronomical ring dials, universal minute dials, and quadrants. The author also discusses a recognised forgery and provides insights into instrument collecting.
Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Portable, Historical Dials
February 2006
Page 32
Page 32
This article describes a new large stainless steel equatorial sundial, shaped like a Viking longship, installed at the Westwood Cross shopping centre in Ramsgate. The dial also serves as public seating and features large Roman numerals and an Equation of Time graph, although the author notes some elementary numbering and calibration errors.
Dials: Equatorial, Sundial Design & Layout, Equation of Time
February 2006
Page 33
Page 33
This update provides further information on Henry Wynne’s double horizontal dials, including new historical evidence for the Staunton Harold dial’s position from 19th-century maps and photographs. It also discusses the Wrest Park replica and criticises the National Trust’s decision to preserve a bent gnomon on the Powis Castle dial as part of its history.
Restoration projects, Historical Dials, Dials: Double Horizontal
February 2006
Page 35
Page 35
This article details the intricate process of creating a 30-inch bronze replica of the Henry Wynne dial. It covers pattern making, casting, and challenging precision machining operations, including overcoming issues with a gnomon that was initially too short and perfecting a complex knife-edge. The project required meticulous effort and problem-solving.
Construction Projects, Dials: Double Horizontal, Restoration projects, Sundial Design & Layout
February 2006
Page 40
Page 40
This article explores the careers and working methods of prominent 17th-century London glass sundial makers, including Baptist Sutton, John Oliver, Richard Dutton, and William Price. It identifies common features of London dials, discusses challenges in attributing their work, and examines the role of these figures as mathematical practitioners.
Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials
February 2006
Page 47
Page 47
This report summarises Dr. Paulo Brenni's lecture on Artist and Engineer - Saga of the French instrument industry in the 19th Century presented at the Scientific Instrument Society's 13th Annual Invitation Lecture. It covers the development of French scientific instrument production, from its early unorganised state to its significant international presence in the mid-19th century, and subsequent decline.
February 2006
Page 48
Page 48
This article announces the installation of a new large stainless steel public sundial on Ipswich marina, sponsored by Rotary clubs to commemorate their centenary. Designed by Tony Moss, the horizontal dial features a massive gnomon, Rotary emblems, a British Summer Time scale, and an informative plaque with a combined longitude/Equation of Time correction graph.
Dials: Horizontal, Construction Projects, Equation of Time