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Dials: Armillary Sphere
March 2023
Page 6
Page 6
Details how to construct two accessible types of small, portable sundials. The first is an armillary equatorial dial made from embroidery hoops. The second is an altitude card dial, also known as a Capuchin dial, which uses a thread and bead mechanism. Both projects demonstrate less traditional dial types requiring minimal skill.
DIY Sundial Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Portable
March 2023
Page 25
Page 25
Compares two armillary dials seen during a NASS conference tour. The first, at the Governor’s Residence, is exquisite and highly symbolic. The second, at Vanderbilt University, uses a unique method where a spot of light shines through the equatorial ring onto an analemma plate to indicate the time.
Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Unusual, Equation of Time
December 2023
Page 12
Page 12
A survey of various Scottish sundials featuring the Scots proverb motto “Tak tent o’ time Ere time be tint For time will no remain,” translating to “Make the most of our time as we don’t know how long we have.” Examples include armillary spheres, multi-faced dials, and vertical dials.
Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Multi Faced, Historical Dials, Mottoes
June 2022
Page 18
Page 18
This note records the finding of a previously unlisted sundial on the York Deanery grounds during the BSS conference tour. The current 'Sunny Hours' dial sits on a fine pedestal and appears to be a replacement for a five-ring armillary dial recorded there in 2001.
Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials, The BSS and Members, Dials: Armillary Sphere
December 2022
Page 24
Page 24
A photograph of a misaligned sundial located in the garden of the Klaeuwshofje, a courtyard of almshouses in Delft, Netherlands, founded in 1605.
Historical Dials, Dials: Armillary Sphere
March 2021
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Page 10
A selection of sundials reported in 2020 and entered into the Fixed Dial Register. The list includes armillary spheres, equatorial dials, various vertical dials (like the one at Staple Inn), several horizontal dials (such as the large Solum dial), and multiple or special dials.
Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Equatorial, Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Vertical
March 2021
Page 42
Page 42
A query to members seeking help identifying the location of old family photographs. The location is a park or public garden, possibly in south-east London, featuring an armillary sphere sundial on a pedestal, which is currently unlisted in the Fixed Dial Register.
Dials: Armillary Sphere, The BSS and Members
June 2021
Page 31
Page 31
Provides an update identifying the location of a sundial pictured in old family photographs as Christchurch Park, Ipswich. The dial was an armillary sphere. Notes that a 2017 replacement armillary dial was stolen and replaced again by maker Robert Foster.
Restoration projects, Historical Dials, Dials: Armillary Sphere
March 2020
Page 36
Page 36
Details the construction of a large 3-metre diameter armillary dial made from surplus mild steel H-beam and stainless steel components. Constructed by TAM Engineering Services Ltd, the dial includes a central aluminum globe nodus and a stainless steel equatorial ring with laser-cut Roman numerals. It was built for the old school in Wiggenhall St Mary Magdalen.
Construction Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere, Sundial Design & Layout
September 2020
Page 30
Page 30
Reports on a tour detailing various sundials across New Zealand's North Island, including a memorial dial at Lynfield College. Describes a commemorative dial at the Treaty of Waitangi Grounds and the analemmatic 'Sundial of Human Involvement' in Wellington Botanic Garden.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Analemmatic, Historical Dials, Dials: Armillary Sphere
September 2019
Page 2
Page 2
This article details a visit to the privately owned Zuylenburgh collection in Oud-Zuilen, Utrecht, which includes sundials, clocks, and scientific instruments. Highlights include a vertical dial by Pieter de Ruiter, several armillary dials, and portable dials by notable makers such as J. Smith, W. & S. Jones, Elias Allen, Thomas Wright, and Humfrey Cole.
Dials: Vertical, Dials: Portable, Historical Dials, Dials: Armillary Sphere
June 2018
Page 13
Page 13
Reports on over one hundred dials added to the Fixed Dial Register in 2017, presenting 18 selected examples. These include a historical horizontal dial, a Francis Barker cross dial, a moon dial, an armillary sphere, and a stained glass millennium dial. Dials by makers Thomas Woodcock and John Bird are highlighted.
Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Polar, Dials: Stained Glass, Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials
September 2018
Page 6
Page 6
Reports on several dial makers exhibiting at the Chelsea Flower Show. David Harber featured the 'Aeon' sunburst sculpture and an armillary dial. Border Sundials displayed eight pieces, winning a 4-star trade stand award. Martin Cook Studio showed slate dials focusing on calligraphy, and Caroline Dear of Stonecraft displayed dials on Portland stone pedestals.
Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Vertical
March 2017
Page 28
Page 28
Description of the Exmoor Sundial and Starclock, an armillary sphere unveiled in 2015. Unusually, this stainless steel dial incorporates a nocturnal mounted on its meridian ring, allowing time measurement at night by sighting the North Star and guide stars in Ursa Major (The Plough).
Construction Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Nocturnals
June 2017
Page 32
Page 32
This article reports on the restoration project to replace a heavily rusted, old iron armillary sphere in Ipswich's Christchurch Park. A new bronze dial, custom-made by Robert Foster Sundials, was mounted on a restored pedestal and dedicated to the recently deceased Dr John Blatchly MBE.
Dials: Armillary Sphere, Restoration projects
March 2016
Page 32
Page 32
Describes the construction and installation of a 1.3-metre diameter stainless steel armillary sphere commissioned by Schaeffler for their South Wales plant. The sphere features engraved traditional hour rings contrasted with laser-etched elements for a corporate look.
Construction Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere
June 2016
Page 29
Page 29
Review of photographs from a 1908 book, The Gardens of England, illustrating grand sundials in prominent gardens. Many featured pedestal dials, which appear to have since vanished or been moved, highlighting the disappearance of such features due to changing fashion, damage, or theft. Locations include Clumber Park (armillary sphere) and Guy’s Cliff.
Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Horizontal, Historical Dials
March 2015
Page 52
Page 52
A short piece describing the bronze 800mm armillary sphere made by the author in 2014. The sphere was installed at Dumfries House in Scotland and was unveiled by HM The Queen and HRH Prince Charles during the official opening of the restored Walled Garden.
Construction Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere
June 2015
Page 30
Page 30
Description of an armillary dial commissioned in 2013 to cover an unused well head at a country house in Southern Ireland. It features two identical arcs, 800 mm in diameter, cut from a phosphor bronze slab using a water jet.
Construction Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere
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 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
December 2013
Page 32
Page 32
An appreciation of the late sculptor Edwin Russell (1939–2013), Fellow of the Royal Society of British Sculptors and Artistic Director of Brookbrae Ltd. It highlights his collaborations, notably the Dolphin Sundial in Greenwich (1978), and his dedication to perfection, inspiring his student Joanna Migdal.
Sundial Design & Layout, The BSS and Members, Dials: Armillary Sphere
December 2013
Page 44
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Presents two additional examples of Edwin Russell’s work: the ‘botanical’ armillary sphere at Kew Gardens (engraving by Joanna Migdal), and a horizontal dial featuring a cricketer gnomon on the Green at Holyport (delineated by Joanna Migdal).
Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Horizontal, Sundial Design & Layout
September 2012
Page 45
Page 45
This entry describes a sundial exhibition held from June to September 2012 in the Turrill Sculpture Garden, Summertown, Oxford. It features 11 dials by BSS members, including David Harber's bronze dial and armillary sphere, Chris Lusby Taylor's sculptural "Undial" and "From Sunrise to Sunset" dials, and a cube dial by Harriet James.
Dials: Unusual, The BSS and Members, Dials: Cube, Dials: Armillary Sphere
September 2010
Page 23
Page 23
This article reports on the unveiling of a bronze armillary sphere by David Harber, created to celebrate his lineage to the distinguished 16th-century mathematician and diallist John Blagrave. The sphere represents Blagrave's 'Mathematical Jewel' and was unveiled at the Science Museum in South Kensington.
Construction Projects, Historical Dials, Dials: Armillary Sphere
December 2010
Page 2
Page 2
This article describes the Equinoctial Armilla, built by Egnazio Danti in 1573 on the Santa Maria Novella basilica in Florence. Its purpose was to determine the Equinox time and tropical year length, contributing to calendar reform. The article discusses its historical context, Danti's observations, chronological discrepancies, measurement errors due to the armilla's size, and the instrument's features.
Mathematics of Dialling, Historical Dials, Dials: Armillary Sphere
March 2009
Page 22
Page 22
This article explores the history of sundials in St Petersburg, Russia, from the early 18th century. It describes various notable examples, including the armillary sphere on the Kunstkammer, the double sundial on the Menshikov Palace, solar milestones, and dials in Peterhof, Gatchina, Pavlovsk Park, and Demidov’s manors, as well as modern additions.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials, Dials: Armillary Sphere
June 2009
Page 5
Page 5
A report on a visit to Sundials Australia, run by Margaret Folkard and John Ward. It covers their design philosophy favouring cast relief dials for longevity, and manufacturing process using photopolymers. The article highlights their diverse work, including horizontal dials, armillary spheres, and international commissions.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Vertical, Dials: Armillary Sphere
June 2009
Page 18
Page 18
An overview of designing and using sundials in tropical regions. It discusses the suitability and challenges of various dial types, including horizontal, armillary, polar, and vertical, noting issues like noon-line crowding on horizontal dials and the advantages of other formats.
Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Vertical, Dials: Polar, Dials: Astrolabe, Dials: Armillary Sphere
September 2009
Page 44
Page 44
A humorous account of installing an armillary sphere sundial in a cottage garden. The author describes the challenges of using an old granite farm roller as a pedestal, detailing the difficulties of moving it, cutting the axle, and drilling into the stone to mount the dial and a motto plate.
Construction Projects, Dials: Armillary Sphere
March 2008
Page 10
Page 10
A recorder encounters an armillary sphere sundial for sale at a garden centre. Despite initial skepticism about 'garden centre' dials, it's well-delineated. The author inquires about its permanence for recording purposes and learns its price (£10,000) and maker, Richard Heron.
Dials: Armillary Sphere
September 2007
Page 123
Page 123
This short piece features a 1928 photograph of novelist Edgar Wallace with a rather fine armillary sphere in his garden. It questions whether this dial, or one of the same design with an unusual bell-and-sphere supporter, dating from 1730 at Hever Castle, are unique or part of a production series from such an early date.
Historical Dials, Dials: Armillary Sphere
September 2003
Page 131
Page 131
This short article describes a new armillary sphere located in Peterborough's Equinox Park.
Dials: Armillary Sphere
October 1993
Page 20
Page 20
This article surveys various sundials across Cambridgeshire, including church wall dials, horizontal garden dials, and armillary spheres. It highlights specific examples, discussing their dates, inscriptions, restoration efforts, and the materials used. The text also notes the ongoing loss of old dials due to weathering but also the creation of new commemorative ones.
Dials: Armillary Sphere, Dials: Horizontal, Dials: Mass Dials, Dials: Multi Faced, Dials: Vertical, Historical Dials
October 1990
Page 12
Page 12
This article discusses various forms of spherical sundials, from simple painted stone spheres to the ancient concave hemisphere (Scaphe or Hemicycle) and the later, less effective, convex hemisphere. It also explores the projection of spherical coordinates onto a plane, linking them to the discovery of the analemmatic dial.
Dials: Hemispherical, Historical Dials, Dials: Scaphe, Dials: Armillary Sphere