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June 2023
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 2023
Page 1
Page 1
Discusses the successful April 2023 BSS Conference in Exeter, highlighting the splendid hosting and high standard of talks, including the Somerville lecture by Stephen Johnston. It introduces the issue's lead article on Oronce Fine’s horary quadrant, followed by articles on the Belgian altitude dial, Norwegian dials, and North Wales dials, and concludes with mention of the 2022 BSS accounts.
The BSS and Members
June 2023
Page 2
Page 2
Details the discovery of an ivory horary quadrant by Oronce Fine, dated 1518, designed for 48° 30ʹ latitude. The quadrant features straight hour lines and an elaborate carved leather case bearing the coat of arms of Michel Boudet, Fine’s protector. It is noted as being remarkably similar to the quadrant seen in Holbein’s "Les Ambassadeurs".
Dials: Portable, Mathematics of Dialling, Dialling Tools, Historical Dials
June 2023
Page 7
Page 7
Presents photographs of 'The Light of Enlightenment' statue and fountain located in the Tang dynasty-style Nan Lian Garden in Kowloon, Hong Kong. This sculpture, designed by Simone Bartolini in 2006, is built on an octagonal base, one panel of which depicts a map of China.
Dials: Unusual, The BSS and Members
June 2023
Page 8
Page 8
Reviews two methods suggested by Sue Manston for operating a portable altitude dial (a Hevelius dial). Geometric analysis confirms the two methods are equivalent, but practical tests suggest Method 1, using the shadow of a gnomon parallel to the short edge, is feasible for determining the time with 10–15 minutes accuracy.
Dials: Portable, How Sundials Work
June 2023
Page 9
Page 9
Discusses a postcard featuring a horizontal sundial at Battle Abbey, East Sussex, the historic site of the Battle of Hastings. The postcard, identified as a Valentine’s “Sepiatype” Series with number 95078, is estimated to date from the mid to late 1920s, likely January 1928, and the dial is unrecorded in the Fixed Dial Register.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials
June 2023
Page 10
Page 10
Describes three historic Norwegian sundials (Giske Church Mass Dial, Kråkvåg Horizontal Sundial, Mandal Horizontal Sundial) demonstrating the use of octaval hours (eight parts of the day) and unequal hours (15 degrees). The study details how the octaval system gave way to unequal hours during a transition period, and uses compass history to estimate ages.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Mass Dials, Historical Dials, How Sundials Work
June 2023
Page 14
Page 14
Features a drawing by Dorothy Hartley from "Ye Sundial Booke" showing the Battle Abbey Sundial, supplementing the Postcard Potpourri entry on page 9.
Dials: Horizontal
June 2023
Page 15
Page 15
Provides detailed instructions and drawings for constructing an educational wooden sundial puzzle, measuring 125 × 125 mm. The project utilizes plywood and a satay stick as a polar gnomon, designed to be easy to assemble and explain the concept of solar time.
Construction Projects, DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Polar
June 2023
Page 16
Page 16
Comprehensive report on the BSS Exeter Conference talks, including subjects such as scratch dials, the Taormina Heliochronometer, the Queens’ Dial, the Equation of Time, Francis Line’s pyramid dial, and polyhedral dials (Somerville Memorial Lecture). The report also covers the social events, including a garden visit and the Gala Dinner.
Dials: Multi Faced, Equation of Time, Historical Dials, The BSS and Members
June 2023
Page 24
Page 24
Investigates a distinctive group of early stone horizontal sundials in the former county of Flintshire, North Wales, dating from 1588 to 1637. These dials are characterised by having hour lines carved directly into the surface of the stone pillar (likely Gwespyr stone) and may be derived from cut-down churchyard crosses.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials
June 2023
Page 28
Page 28
Describes the discovery and subsequent conservation of a damaged octagonal copper-alloy sundial at Ledston Hall. The inscription "Antonius Thompson Fecit" and the Lewis coat of arms indicate it was made by Anthony Thompson between 1653 and 1665, commissioned by Sir John Lewis, then owner of the Hall.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials, Restoration projects
June 2023
Page 30
Page 30
Examines 3rd and 4th-century Roman mosaics from the Hatay Archaeological Museum, Antakya, which humorously depict public sundials. The scenes show caricaturised guests rushing to dinner or attempting to vandalize the dial for being late, confirming both the Roman use of public dials and the existence of early vandalism.
Dials: Unusual, Historical Dials
June 2023
Page 31
Page 31
Revisits Sir Samuel Morland's 1689 pamphlet promoting his non-extant "Poor Man’s Dyal." Analysis suggests it was a modest, four-inch diameter horizontal dial, possibly pewter or brass, sold with an instrument for establishing the East-West line, reflecting Morland’s efforts to raise funds through inexpensive items.
Dialling Tools, Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials
June 2023
Page 33
Page 33
Presents the formal Report of the Trustees and the unaudited Financial Statements of the British Sundial Society for the calendar year ending 31 December 2022, scheduled to be noted at the Newbury Meeting for the AGM agenda.
The BSS and Members