SUNDIAL SECTIONS:

Sundials Home

History of Sundials

Why the Sun Dial keeps time

Developing and Making Sundials

Sundial Materials

Sundial Hour Lines Lay out

Sundial "Furniture"

Declination Lines of Sundials

Portable Sundials

Interesting Sundials of the World

PORTABLE SUNDIALS
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Next in importance to the Mensing Collection is that owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Although relatively small, sixty-five in number, its character is similar to that of the Mensing. Each piece is a work of art. The Director, Dr. H. E. Winlock, has kindly given us the following information: "There are 59 portable sundials, 6 stationary sundials, 83 clocks, 451 watches, x astrolabe, 5 calendar sundials, a graphometer and a few nautical instruments, covering the period from about 156o to about 1890. A sundial is represented on our Boscoreale Fresco in Room VIM" At the time of writing all of the sundials are not on exhibition. We hope they will soon be returned to occupy the prominent position they deserve set apart by themselves. The David Eugene Smith Collection of astronomical instruments is now located at Columbia University, New York City. It is a diversified group of instruments including astronomical, surveying, drawing, number games, and many odd pieces such as lucky charms and `knotted cords'. There are two hundred and seventy-eight pieces of which fifty-four are sundials of various kinds, covering the period from 1450 to 1900. We are grateful to Miss Bertha Frick, Curator, for furnishing the above information. It may be seen in room 210, Low Memorial Library. This collection was for many years on exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry, New York City.

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