Re: Schmoyer Sunquest

[Clarkkr]

   I wrote a brief history about Richard Schmoyer and the "Sunquest" sundial with additional information to Tony Moss and the London Science Museum who requested it.

  I also sent along information on the "Lyre and Tuning Fork Musical Theme Sundial" that I forgot I had on file.

   I did get to know Richard and I have a lot of his corrospondance.  A copy of my letter to Tony and the London Science Museum follows below:

I hope this helps.

Ken Clark

Kenneth R. Clark                                                                 12/31/02
975 Turnpike Rd.
Elizabethtown, PA 17022
[EMAIL PROTECTED]


Tony Moss and the London Science Museum,



   The following is a brief history of Richard Schmoyer and the "Sunquest" sundial.   I got to know Richard Schmoyer in early 1990 and having been interested in sundials for a while, I decided to see if Richard still lived in Landisville PA as stated in Waugh's book, which was only about 10 miles away.  Well he did.

   He showed me a lot of his sundial books and related items.  He communicated with a lot of people over the years and he kept some photo albums of different pictures of sundials that people would send him.  He was also a member of the British Sundial Society and we sometimes discuss articles in the Bulletin and the best way to send money in British Sterling.

   In his office he had a mirror on the window sash and a sundial laid out on the ceiling.  On the sides of his house he had two vertical declining dials he made out of teak wood and one on the copula of his garden shed, as well as a "Sunquest" sundial on a tree stump in his yard.  He gave me a set of old 40" iron wagon wheels that he was thinking of some day making a sundial out of but never did.  He did make a scale model of it with which had the slit gnomon.  Someday I will complete the dial.

   Richard L. Schmoyer at age 82 died Thursday May 29, 1997 after a long illness.  Richard was a graduate of Lehigh University, a mechanical engineer, and also a charter member of the North American Sundial Society.  Among dialist, he is probably best known as the designer of the "Sunquest" dial, which he had made and sold from his home through mail order.  The dial was featured in the Amateur Scientist Dept. of the Scientific American magazine (October 1959).

   After his death I received a lot of his corrospondance in a box left over from the public sale, which the family has given me, which chronicles the history of the "Sunquest". Schmoyer viewed the "Sunquest" as a home-hobby-part-time project on and off from about 1958 until the mid 70's because of the Scientific American article.  He started the duplication of aluminum castings for others interested in building one, and resulted in over 100 sets which he prepared along with fasteners, parts, drawings and instructions for home craftsmen, astronomy clubs, science projects, and others.  During the same period He built and sold about 75 completely finished and assembled sundials.   He also had three done in bronze.

  

   Because of continued response from people and because of Waugh's book he renewed the project in 1983 for the last time and produced about 50 more castings and sold them in kit form again.

   Albert Waugh, like many saw the article in Scientific American and ordered a kit in 1960.  Later he saw in Natural History Magazine that it was also available fully finished and was able to return it and ordered two completely finished dials.  They communicated by mail and Albert offered to put a picture of the "Sunquest" in the sundial book he was working on then.

   I also discovered a unique sundial design drawings that he did for someone for a proposed college alumni gift to the music department.  It was for a large public sundial with seating around it, which he called, Lyre and Tuning Fork, Musical Theme Sundial, which used the split gnomon.  Apparently it never got completed.

   Richard Schmoyer's sundial appeared in numeralist articles and books over the years including F.W. Cousins, Sundials, 1970.  He enjoyed talking about sundials and contributed to the public's interest in sundials.

   I think it's great of Tony Moss to donate the Sunquest sundial to the London Science Museum.  I talked to Richard Schmoyer's daughter, Laurel Browing, and she is honored.

   Right now she tells me the sundial business has been on hold because they have been traveling and she does have her income tax business also.  The foundry were the dials were cast, has changed hands and the same people are not involved in doing the accurate work that is needed.  At one time she was looking for a company to take over the manufacturing because she does not have the expertise and time to devote to it full time.  She is still open to suggestions in making the "Sunquest" available to the public.  She can be reached at:

Laurel Browning
17100 White Dove Lane SE
Oldtown, Maryland 21555
301-478-5646
[EMAIL PROTECTED]

   I hope this is helpful.  I was relatively new to sundialing when I met Richard Schmoyer and I was glad I got to know him.

Thanks very much,