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September 2014
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.
September 2014
Page 1
Page 1
Discussion of the winner of the Most Enjoyed Article award for 2013 (Dennis Cowan) and plans for future issues, including articles held over from the June issue and items from the Greenwich Conference.
September 2014
Page 2
Page 2
An investigation into two painted glass sundials in the windows of Convocation House at the Old Bodleian Library in Oxford, focusing on their history, appearance, dating, and the discovery that the south dial is incorrectly installed, facing the wrong way.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Restoration projects, Sundial Design & Layout
September 2014
Page 9
Page 9
Describes an analemmatic sundial professionally installed in 2013 in Hill Street, Newry, Northern Ireland, featuring twin rings for GMT and BST, designed by Modern Sun-clocks.
Construction Projects, Dials: Analemmatic
September 2014
Page 10
Page 10
Recounts the personal story of Edward Brown, a Yorkshireman who, after being made redundant, funded his own stonemasonry course and dedicated ten years (1981–1991) to restoring St Augustine’s Parish Church in Skirlaugh, including the repair of its vertical stone sundial.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Restoration projects, The BSS and Members
September 2014
Page 11
Page 11
Descriptions of three distinct sundials seen in Denmark: a Piet Hein helical sundial at Fredensborg Palace, a dated (1655) vertical declining dial in Helsingør, and a canonical dial dating to c. 1200 at Vestervig Kirke in Jutland, which indicates unequal hours for monastic prayers.
Dials: Unusual, Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials
September 2014
Page 13
Page 13
An anecdote about being commissioned in 1980 to delineate a horizontal sundial plate, constructed by silversmith Brian Asquith, as a surprise 80th birthday gift for Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, followed by the author's humorous reflection on declining a suggested installation date.
Dials: Horizontal, The BSS and Members
September 2014
Page 14
Page 14
Discusses several unique sundials in Central Australia, including a large bronze armillary sphere made for artist Pro Hart, featuring an attached 400mm bronze ant, and 'Angels of Sun and Moon', a large sculpture at The Living Desert, Broken Hill, which also functions as a sundial and lunar dial.
Construction Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Unusual, How Sundials Work
September 2014
Page 17
Page 17
Describes efforts to promote the British Sundial Society at the annual meeting of south-east astronomy societies at the Chichester Planetarium, featuring talks by members (Doug Bateman on the Greenwich time ball) and a display of dials and books.
The BSS and Members
September 2014
Page 17
Page 17
Details a magnificent polyhedral sundial in Marsden Park, Nelson, shaped as an icosahedron (20 faces). The dial is dated 1841 and is one of the first recorded in the BSS Fixed Dial Register (SRN 0003).
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials
September 2014
Page 18
Page 18
Analysis of a rare 17th-century horizontal brass sundial by London maker Robert Jole, notable for being his only recorded gnomonic instrument. It includes Jewish (Halachic/seasonal) hour-lines, astronomical hours, and declination arcs, designed for a London latitude, catering to the needs of the early Jewish community.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials, Mathematics of Dialling
September 2014
Page 23
Page 23
A short note describing a horizontal sundial in Rethymnon, Crete, with a low gnomon angle and Greek lettering, where a local gentleman was seen checking his watch against the dial.
Dials: Horizontal
September 2014
Page 24
Page 24
Research into a square, tapering stone pillar sundial at Eaton Hall, designed by Lutyens (1898) with dials by F. Barker & Son. The pillar has been moved multiple times on the estate and currently stands incorrectly orientated (rotated 180 degrees), despite expert advice.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials, Restoration projects, The BSS and Members
September 2014
Page 28
Page 28
Describes a vertical declining sundial, the Gateway Sundial in Gloucestershire, based on a 17th-century design. It was made by Judith Verity from green Westmoreland slate with gilded incised lines and a brass gnomon.
Construction Projects, Dials: Vertical
September 2014
Page 29
Page 29
A review of 'A Study of the Quadrant' by Mike Cowham (2014). The monograph is highly recommended, covering the many types and functions of quadrants, including timekeeping, setting out hour-angle dials, and solving trigonometrical problems, all explained with clarity.
Book Reviews, Dialling Tools, Mathematics of Dialling
September 2014
Page 30
Page 30
An intellectual exercise detailing the design considerations for a fixed calendar dial installed on the Moon. Due to the slow solar motion (180° in 15 days), the dial would calibrate the scale in terrestrial days (15–0) remaining until solar culmination or sunset, best constructed from readily available lightweight materials like cardboard.
Construction Projects, Dials: Unusual, Sundial Design & Layout
September 2014
Page 33
Page 33
Describes a DIY sundial project using an ordinary watering can hung on a south-facing wall. The angle of the can's spout was found to match the co-latitude of the London house, allowing the spout to serve as the gnomon when properly supported.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Unusual, Dials: Vertical
September 2014
Page 34
Page 34
A detailed report on the 25th Anniversary Conference held at the University of Greenwich, covering presentations on topics such as extreme ring dials, Australian sundials, Robert Jole's dial, the Eaton Hall pillar, the Greenwich Time Ball, and a guided tour of the Royal Observatory.
The BSS and Members
September 2014
Page 39
Page 39
A brief note identifying a large horizontal dial shown in a 1936 photograph as the one previously described by Roger Bowling, located at Liverpool Road Railway Station, Manchester. The photograph shows the dial being inspected as it was taken out of use.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials
September 2014
Page 40
Page 40
Links the 500th anniversary of Rheticus' birth (Copernicus's publisher) to early sundials. Discusses a lost coloured stone gnomon ordered by Bishop Giese from Nicholas Kratzer in London (c. 1520), and Georg Hartmann’s ivory cross dial (1541) now in the British Museum, suggesting Hartmann’s paper cut-out cruciform dial (1529) may be the earliest of its type.
Dials: Portable, Construction Projects, Historical Dials
September 2014
Page 45
Page 45
Report on the special 25th anniversary photographic competition, where results were determined solely by a conference vote by participating members. Mike Shaw won first and third place with 'Chicago Sunset' and 'Frozen in Time,' while Rainer Jacob came second.
The BSS and Members
September 2014
Page 48
Page 48
Describes the large bronze Bath Armillary sphere unveiled in July 2014 as a memorial to Admiral Arthur Phillip, founder of modern Australia. The sphere shows the time in Bath and Sydney and tracks the historic path of the First Fleet.
Construction Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere