Hi! I'm trying to track down the sources of two oft repeated stories about sundials. The first story concerns Eleanor of Aquitaine who in 1152 allegedly gave Henry II a ring dial to remind him of the time of their trysts. The second story concerns the gift of a universal ring dial from the Marquis de Lafayette to George Washington in 1777. I've not found concrete evidence for either story. I wonder whether anyone can point me to published accounts, footnotes, documentation, or archival evidence that gives creedence to these stories.
Thanks! Sara Sara Schechner Genuth, Ph.D. Gnomon Research Customized Curatorial Services 1142 Loxford Terrace Silver Spring, MD 20901 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.wam.umd.edu/~sschech