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March 2018
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.
March 2018
Page 1
Page 1
Notes on the inclusion of the Trustees’ Annual Report and BSS Accounts in the March issue. Mentions key articles featured, including the annual Dial Dealings, a scholarly account of a Chadburn Bros horizontal dial, a postscript on the 2017 American eclipse, and the serendipitous discovery of the relocated Detroit sundial.
The BSS and Members
March 2018
Page 2
Page 2
Describes the acquisition and scholarly investigation of a 19th-century horizontal dial plate. Removing a later plaque revealed the signature of previously unrecorded sundial makers, Chadburn Bros, Sheffield. The dial features an Equation of Time ring, and its composition (naval brass) and craftsmanship are analyzed, filling a gap in the history of regional makers.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials, Mottoes
March 2018
Page 6
Page 6
A report on the destruction of the cubical monumental sundial in Ilchester, Somerset, which stands 7 metres high. The sundial, originally built in 1795 and rebuilt in 1990 after being blown down, was pole-axed in 2017 when an intoxicated driver failed to take a bend and struck the plinth.
Dials: Cube, Historical Dials
March 2018
Page 7
Page 7
Reports that BSS member Andrew James was installed as Master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers on 23 January. Notes that other BSS members, Joanna Migdal and Keith Scobie-Youngs, also hold positions within the Company as Renter Warden and a Court Assistant.
The BSS and Members
March 2018
Page 8
Page 8
Examines three historical sundials in the Aberdeen area: Ellon Castle (two dials), Pitmedden Garden, and Duthie Park. The author reports on the discovery of the shafts and capitals of the Ellon dials during garden conservation efforts, noting their similarity to the Pitmedden dial (c. 1675). Issues of restoration and the originality of paint on the 1707 Duthie Park dial are discussed.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials
March 2018
Page 13
Page 13
Reports on the auction sale of a Joshua Springer horizontal dial for £1,375. The purchaser, based in the USA, subsequently contacted the BSS Help-and-Advice service seeking information on adjusting the dial for a New York latitude.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials, The BSS and Members
March 2018
Page 14
Page 14
Describes the creation of a new, five-line mass dial cut into the west face of a headstone in East Anglia. The dial declines 14° south of due west. The author discusses the gnomonic challenges of such an orientation and demonstrates that using a horizontal, north-south aligned gnomon allows the shadow to align with the vertical noon line.
Dials: Mass Dials, Sundial Design & Layout
March 2018
Page 15
Page 15
Presents a page from the book Sun-Dial Notes by Nellie Stearns Goodloe, originally published as a calendar for 1894. The calendar is also noted to be correct for 2018, and features illustrations of sundials copied from Gatty, such as the dial on Chartres Cathedral.
Book Reviews
March 2018
Page 16
Page 16
A summary of sundial-related items sold at auction in 2017, including prices achieved. Noteworthy sales include an inclining dial by G. Adams, a rare universal equinoctial ring dial pre-1752, a horizontal garden dial by George Adams Senior featuring an Equation of Time scale, and a sophisticated declinatory dial by R. Glynne.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Portable, Historical Dials
March 2018
Page 19
Page 19
A light-hearted account of finding a British wine in a supermarket that seemed ideal for sundial enthusiasts due to its label, which mentioned grapes from 'every time zone'. They decided against purchasing it due to its low quality implied by the £3 price point.
The BSS and Members
March 2018
Page 20
Page 20
Details the remarkable coincidence where a BSS Help-and-Advice query regarding a missing sundial seen fifty years prior coincided with the typesetting of an article detailing that very instrument. The dial, an A.N. Goddard heliochronometer (designed by Victor E. Edwards) using an aperture nodus and analemma, was moved approximately 15 miles north from a Detroit factory to the Cranbrook Institute of Science.
Dials: Heliochronometer, Historical Dials
March 2018
Page 21
Page 21
A short, humorous piece detailing the author's 80th birthday 'sundial', actually a chocolate cake in the shape of a sundial. The cake was dedicated by his granddaughter, whom he hopes might make an entry for a BSS cake competition.
Dials: Unusual, The BSS and Members
March 2018
Page 22
Page 22
Discusses the newly restored Tower of the Winds (Horologion of Kyrrhestos) in Athens, which features eight exterior sundials and an internal water clock. The main riddle explored is whether the eroded sundials were original to the 1st century BC structure, noting the conflicting evidence of Vitruvius's silence versus the need for sundials to regulate the water clock.
Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials, Restoration projects
March 2018
Page 25
Page 25
Features a postcard of the Belfry next to the market halls in Amiens, showing a sundial dating from 1753 that was restored in 1990. The postcard was produced by the French publisher Neurdein et Cie, typical of cards made in booklets during the First World War.
Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials
March 2018
Page 26
Page 26
Examines the dedication of the octagonal bronze sundial at Moray Golf Club in Lossiemouth, Scotland. The dial, featuring the motto 'Docet Umbra', commemorates cousins George Eric Edwards (DSO recipient) and Sergeant Alexander Edwards (VC recipient) of the Seaforth Highlanders, both of whom perished in the First World War. The memorial was unveiled in 1931.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials
March 2018
Page 28
Page 28
Details the creation of a second, improved equatorial heliochronometer, 'Mark II'. This design is smaller and more portable than the first model. It incorporates a precise rotation mechanism (belt and pulley system) and an Equation of Time correction method based on the Pilkington Sol Horometer, which also accommodates automatic adjustment for GMT/BST transitions.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Heliochronometer, Equation of Time
March 2018
Page 33
Page 33
A correction and postscript clarifying the designer and constructor of a solar projector used during the 2017 American Eclipse. The device was constructed by Don Snyder based on a design by Michael Bakich. It uses a finderscope to project the image and an alignment peg that serves as a temporary gnomon.
Construction Projects, Dialling Tools
March 2018
Page 34
Page 34
Investigates string gnomon dials, especially those from Dieppe (c. 1660), and their calibration methods. The author suggests that makers intentionally offset the hour lines by the thickness of the string so that the user could read the time from the leading edge of the shadow, circumventing the need for a gnomon gap at noon.
Dials: Portable, Historical Dials, Sundial Design & Layout
March 2018
Page 36
Page 36
An overview of the Society's activities supporting the advancement of gnomonic education. Highlights include extensive outreach (lectures, school workshops), advice to professional bodies (e.g., Buckingham Palace, Royal Observatory Greenwich), maintenance of the national sundial database, and the healthy financial status of the BSS. Membership numbers and age distribution are discussed as a cause for concern.
The BSS and Members
March 2018
Page 39
Page 39
Presents the audited financial accounts for the British Sundial Society for the year ending 31st December 2017. The accounts confirm the healthy financial status of the Society, capable of supporting current activities for the foreseeable future.
The BSS and Members