Re: Time Museum auction

[Sara Schechner]

By the way, an article in The Sunday Times (Oct 6th) suggested
that the museum might have been set up with the intention of
providing a provenance to these objects with a view to just such
a sale. I note that Sotheby's catalog seems to rely heavily on
the museum as the root of provenances. Any comments?


That is an interesting suggestion.  It gives one pause.  But I must say 
that in my 20 years' association with the Time Museum and the family whose 
private collection this is, I never got that impression.


Sara


Sara Schechner, Ph.D.
David P. Wheatland Curator
Collection of Historical Scientific Instruments
Harvard University, Science Center B-6
1 Oxford Street, Cambridge MA 02138
617-496-9542 (Tel)
617-496-5932 (Fax)

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Re: Time Museum auction

[clusbytaylor]

Fred Sawyer wrote:
> List members may be interested to learn that several of the 
sundials in
> the collection of the now defunct Time Museum (Rockford, IL) 
will be
> auctioned off at the end of this month.  To view photos of the 
items go
> to:
> 
> http://search.sothebys.com/search/collArea/BrowseCat.jsp?
source_indicator> =E&event_id=25775
> 
> Sotheby's catalog of the auction is also available for 
purchase at that site.
> 
> Fred Sawyer
> 
> 

I'd love to, as there are some fabulous sundials and astrolabes 
being sold, but the estimates all have at least three zeros. 
Judging from the actual amounts paid for the first auction (over 
11 million pounds, I seem to recall - clocks and watches) they 
are not pie in the sky. Still, I plan to go along, so if anyone 
else will be going, please let me know so we can meet up.
By the way, an article in The Sunday Times (Oct 6th) suggested 
that the museum might have been set up with the intention of 
providing a provenance to these objects with a view to just such 
a sale. I note that Sotheby's catalog seems to rely heavily on 
the museum as the root of provenances. Any comments?

Best wishes to all

Chris Lusby Taylor
51.4N 1.3W





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RE: Time Museum Auction

[Gordon Uber]

It may that Part 2 would have been on sundials; apparently it was never 
published. I don't recall seeing that many sundials at the Time Museum.


At present, I am more interested in the "plain sights" of the large 
astronomical instruments with nontelescopic sights which were built by 
Tycho Brahe and Johannes Hevelius. The sights were remarkably good, with 
reproducibility as good as 10 arc seconds (Hevelius), although overall 
instrumental accuracy for stars was more like 20 to 60 arc seconds. The 
position of the sun was measured by centering the edges of a 
pinhole-projected solar image on four slits, in the event someone wishes to 
try the method on a sundial.


Over this last year I have been studying about water clocks, starting with 
Part 3, and going on to a great many of the cited works.
There is also some additional modern research on the subject, primarily 
concerning hydraulics. I published a brief list of these newer articles in 
the NAWCC Horological Science Chapter Newsletter and can send it to anyone 
interested.


Best wishes,

Gordon

Gordon Uber   [EMAIL PROTECTED]  San Diego, California  USA
Webmaster: Clocks and Time: http://www.ubr.com/clocks

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RE: Time Museum Auction

[Tom Kreyche]

There is evidently one other book of the series, titled "Time Measuring
Instruments, Water-clocks, Sand-glasses, Fire-clocks." It is also a
well-done book, but not as interesting for me personally as the
Astrolabe book.

It is interesting that it is also sub-titled as "Volume 1, Part 3." The
Astrolabes book says that it is "Volume 1, Part 1." There is a reference
made to a book on sundials but I don't believe that it was ever
published. Perhaps it was supposed to be "Volume 1, Part 2." 

BTW the Astrolabe book has an excellent photo of a beautiful double
horizontal sundial, which inspired me to build one!

Tom



-Original Message-
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Thierry van
Steenberghe
Sent: Sunday, June 16, 2002 5:58 AM
To: sundial@rrz.uni-koeln.de; Tom Kreyche
Subject: Re: Time Museum Auction

Tom Kreyche wrote:

> There is an article in the NY Times today (Page B38 in my edition)
> about Seth Atwood and the (now defunct) TimeMuseum. According to the
> article, Mr. Atwood is ".now going back to Sotheby's. He is selling an
> additional 218 pieces from his collection on Wednesday, in an auction
> titled 'Masterpieces From the Time Museum, Part II.' "
>
> The collection is on Sotheby's web site but doesn't appear to have any
> dials or non-mechanized astronomical instruments.
>
> BTW if you haven't seen one of the books published by the TimeMuseum,
> "Time Measuring Instruments, Astrolabes, Astrolabe Related
> Instruments" by A.J. Turner, it's a real treat.
>
> Tom Kreyche
>

Dear Tom,

I do own a copy of the marvelous "Western Astrolabes" book published by
the Time Museum.
I wonder whether other books of the series have been published or
prepared (and if they will be published eventually?), e.g. the one
planned since years about sundials?
The plan supposedly was to publish a whole series as a museum catalogue.

Any info appreciated!

Best regards,
Thierry vs
50.5N 4.3E




-

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Re: Time Museum Auction

[Gordon Uber]

The Time Museum Catalog by Anthony Turner: Volume 1, Part 1 Astrolabes, and 
Part 3 Water-Clocks, Sand-Glasses and Fire Clocks have been published, are 
out of print, and are available from used book dealers. Part 3 has the best 
English-language survey of water clocks (about 70 pages) that I have found; 
it has an extensive bibliography of supporting literature. I do not know 
about Part 2. I suspect that further volumes will not be published now that 
the museum is closed. There are also Time Museum volumes published on 
pocket watches and chronometers.


Gordon


At 02:57 PM 6/16/02 +0200, you wrote:

I do own a copy of the marvelous "Western Astrolabes" book published by
the Time Museum.
I wonder whether other books of the series have been published or
prepared (and if they will be published eventually?), e.g. the one
planned since years about sundials?
The plan supposedly was to publish a whole series as a museum catalogue.

Any info appreciated!

Best regards,
Thierry vs
50.5N 4.3E


Gordon Uber   [EMAIL PROTECTED]  San Diego, California  USA
Webmaster: Clocks and Time: http://www.ubr.com/clocks

-

Re: Time Museum Auction

[Thierry van Steenberghe]

Tom Kreyche wrote:

> There is an article in the NY Times today (Page B38 in my edition)
> about Seth Atwood and the (now defunct) TimeMuseum. According to the
> article, Mr. Atwood is "…now going back to Sotheby's. He is selling an
> additional 218 pieces from his collection on Wednesday, in an auction
> titled 'Masterpieces From the Time Museum, Part II.' "
>
> The collection is on Sotheby's web site but doesn't appear to have any
> dials or non-mechanized astronomical instruments.
>
> BTW if you haven't seen one of the books published by the TimeMuseum,
> "Time Measuring Instruments, Astrolabes, Astrolabe Related
> Instruments" by A.J. Turner, it's a real treat.
>
> Tom Kreyche
>

Dear Tom,

I do own a copy of the marvelous "Western Astrolabes" book published by
the Time Museum.
I wonder whether other books of the series have been published or
prepared (and if they will be published eventually?), e.g. the one
planned since years about sundials?
The plan supposedly was to publish a whole series as a museum catalogue.

Any info appreciated!

Best regards,
Thierry vs
50.5N 4.3E




-

Re: Time Museum Auction

[MMB]

On 14 June Tom Kreyche wrote:

>There is an article in the NY Times today (Page B38 in my edition)
about >Seth Atwood and the (now defunct) Time Museum. According to the
article, >Mr. Atwood is "…now going back to Sotheby's. He is selling an
additional >218 pieces from his collection on Wednesday, in an auction
titled 
>'Masterpieces From the Time Museum, Part II.' " 


For those of us who do not have access to a hard copy of NYT, here is
the article. 



Note that you may need to register (it is free) to read the article. I
have been registered with NYT for five years and have never been
disadvantaged or bothered.

Maria Brandl
Mallacoota

37° 32' 60S
149° 45' 0E

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Re: Time Museum Auction

[Marvin Bolt]

Title: Re: Time Museum Auction


Dear Tom and other dialing enthusiasts,

I'm sorry to report that, in fact, there will be a second
Sotheby's auction (this fall) at which many of the Atwood collection's
lovely dials and instruments of interest to this group will be offered
for sale.

Best wishes,

Marv

  
 -
Marvin Bolt, Ph. D.
Associate
Curator  [EMAIL PROTECTED]
 History of Astronomy Department
 Adler Planetarium & Astronomy Museum
 1300 South Lake Shore
Drive   

Voice: (312) 322-0594
 Chicago, IL
60605  Fax:   (312)
341-9935
 http://www.adlerplanetarium.org
 -
Any opinions expressed may not reflect the official policies of
the
University of Notre Dame or of the Adler Planetarium &
Astronomy Museum.



There is an article in the NY Times today (Page B38 in
my edition) about Seth Atwood and the (now defunct) Time Museum. According to the article, Mr. Atwood is
"Šnow going back to Sotheby's. He is selling an additional 218
pieces from his collection on Wednesday, in an auction titled
'Masterpieces From the Time Museum, Part II.' "

 

The collection is on Sotheby's web site but doesn't
appear to have any dials or non-mechanized astronomical
instruments.

 

BTW if you haven't seen one of the books published by
the Time Museum, "Time Measuring
Instruments, Astrolabes, Astrolabe Related Instruments" by A.J.
Turner, it's a real treat.

 

Tom Kreyche