Re: Sundials in Vancouver?
- Original Message - From: Bob Haselby <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Clem Padin <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: Sent: Monday, July 17, 2000 10:10 AM Subject: Re: Sundials in Vancouver? > Clem Padin wrote: > > > > I'll be traveling to Vancouver in a couple of weeks. Any interesting > > sundials to visit? > > > > thanks, > > Clem > > Clem, I presume you are talking about Vancouver, B.C. I was there > several summers ago and "found" a sundial quite by accident on the > beach. Its been awhile I am going from memory. I haven't seen this dial > in the NASS directory so maybe you can get a good description if you > find it. It is on the Boardwalk on the main bay on the west side of the > city. I forget what the bay is called but It is where they have the > fireworks contest in the summer. The dial is cylindrical equatorial > dial made of bronze with a compensating gnomon. If I had a map of > Vancouver I could probably locate it within a half mile. Maybe someone > else has noticed this dial and can give you some more info. > If you are talking about Vancouver, WA I can't help you. > > Bob 33N 116W San Diego > It is on the beach at English bay close to Stanley park. Nice place to visit... Mike Koblic, Quesnel BC
Re: Nought at noon
Bob, Steve, et. al., I have no knowledge of the origin of the practice of using zero to mark noon, but there is as much logic as for twelve, since it is the beginning, or "zero," for P. M. hours, and so can be expected to precede hours 1, 2, etc.. by an hour, especially with the sun's meridian passage as specific reference in "P.M. (post meridiem.)" Sciagraphically, Bill > I have recently seen a couple of dials which use a nought (a digit > zero) > in place of XII,... I've never seen this done on a clock,...
Re: Nought at noon
Steve, I believe I have seen this use of "0" for noon very occasionally on English vertical dials - although at the moment I can't think where! I believe Bob Terwilliger is right - it's done for spacing reasons, and possibly the maker isn't religious! John --- Dr J R Davis Flowton, UK 52.08N, 1.043E email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] - Original Message - From: Steve Lelievre <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sundial mailing list Sent: 18 July 2000 15:29 Subject: Nought at noon > I have recently seen a couple of dials which use a nought (a digit zero) in > place of XII, whereas the rest of the hour labels are in their usual roman > numeral forms. In other words, they run VI, VII...XI, 0, I, II...VI. One > dial is from the 1950s and the other from the 1960s. They are both located > in Nova Scotia and presumably made in Canada or USA. I don't know the makers > of either, but I'm sure they are not made by the same company since the > quality and designs are so different. > > I've never seen this done on a clock, it's not a bona fide roman number, and > I can't think of any reason not to mark it as the 12th hour. Why does 0 > appear, and is it common practice to use it? > > I read in the BSS Glossary that a cross (looking like an Iron Cross, or as > five dots) is sometimes used in older sundials to indicate the noon > position. Are there any other symbols in use? > > Cheers, Steve > > > Steve's Site is at http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/steve.lelievre >
Re: Nought at noon
Hi All, Steve Lelievre wrote: > I have recently seen a couple of dials which use a nought (a digit > zero) in > place of XII,... I've never seen this done on a clock,... I am a clockmaker. I have repaired a lot of clocks and I have never seen it on a clock either. I suggest that the proximity of the hour lines near noon combined with XII being such a wide Roman numeral may have led the makers to use a 0 just for spacing. Bob
Can anyone help?
Can anyone possibly help me regarding a dial manufacturer that signs their dials with a copyright symbol and the word 'Solstice'? The police in the UK have recovered a stolen horizontal dial and have asked me as BSS Registrar if we can identify it and its owner. It is one of a few modern ones characterised by the maker's name simply being recorded by a copyright statement following the stated design latitude; viz Latitude 51d 30m. (c) Solstice We know of a few such dials but all are either still present on their pedestals or are designed for a latitude other than the one for which this recovered one was designed. Because the dials all appear to be designed for a specific latitude it is possible that the maker might have records of their sale. Accordingly I am trying to find the name and address for the maker of these 'Solstice' dials. Can anyone please help identify the source of these dials? Many thanks Patrick
Nought at noon
I have recently seen a couple of dials which use a nought (a digit zero) in place of XII, whereas the rest of the hour labels are in their usual roman numeral forms. In other words, they run VI, VII...XI, 0, I, II...VI. One dial is from the 1950s and the other from the 1960s. They are both located in Nova Scotia and presumably made in Canada or USA. I don't know the makers of either, but I'm sure they are not made by the same company since the quality and designs are so different. I've never seen this done on a clock, it's not a bona fide roman number, and I can't think of any reason not to mark it as the 12th hour. Why does 0 appear, and is it common practice to use it? I read in the BSS Glossary that a cross (looking like an Iron Cross, or as five dots) is sometimes used in older sundials to indicate the noon position. Are there any other symbols in use? Cheers, Steve Steve's Site is at http://www3.ns.sympatico.ca/steve.lelievre
