This vintage book contains a complete guide to clocking making. This text is a veritable must-have for anyone with a keen interest in clocks and watches, and includes detailed, interesting information on the history of clock making, descriptions of the inner machinations and composition of clocks, and much more besides. Although old, the information contained herein is timeless, and will be of as much utility to modern readers as it was to those contemporary with its original publication. The chapters of this book include: A history of clocks and watches, Materials, Tools, Wheels and pinions, Escapements, Pendulums, Motive power, Striking mechanisms, Lantern clocks, Long case clocks, Bracket clocks, The age of a movement, Clock hands, British clocks for export, etcetera. We are republishing this antiquarian volume now in a modern, affordable edition complete with a new introduction on the history of clocks and watches.
One of Smithsonian Magazine's Ten Best History Books of 2021 A captivating, surprising history of timekeeping and how it has shaped our world. For thousands of years, people of all cultures have made and used clocks, from the city sundials of ancient Rome to the medieval water clocks of imperial China, hourglasses fomenting revolution in the Middle Ages, the Stock Exchange clock of Amsterdam in 1611, Enlightenment observatories in India, and the high-precision clocks circling the Earth on a fleet of GPS satellites that have been launched since 1978. Clocks have helped us navigate the world and build empires, and have even taken us to the brink of destruction. Elites have used them to wield power, make money, govern citizens, and control lives—and sometimes the people have used them to fight back. Through the stories of twelve clocks, About Time brings pivotal moments from the past vividly to life. Historian and lifelong clock enthusiast David Rooney takes us from the unveiling of al-Jazari’s castle clock in 1206, in present-day Turkey; to the Cape of Good Hope observatory at the southern tip of Africa, where nineteenth-century British government astronomers moved the gears of empire with a time ball and a gun; to the burial of a plutonium clock now sealed beneath a public park in Osaka, where it will keep time for 5,000 years. Rooney shows, through these artifacts, how time has been imagined, politicized, and weaponized over the centuries—and how it might bring peace. Ultimately, he writes, the technical history of horology is only the start of the story. A history of clocks is a history of civilization.
This book is a lucid and authoritative catalog of man's obsession with time and timepieces. Hundreds of full-color and black-and-white illustrations compliment intricate line drawings that illuminate the inner workings of these devices.
Stan Bray introduces the fascinating world of horology to the complete beginner. This book explains the terminology of the clockmaker and provides general details of clock construction including layout of wheels and escarpments, a number of the latter being described. Making of wheels, pinions, escarpments, plates, pendulums, weights, cases, hands and faces is described. The necessary tools and equipment are described with details of how to make specialized items and choice of most suitable materials for their construction.
An orphan and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy train station. He desperately believes a broken automaton will make his dreams come true. But when his world collides with an eccentric girl and a bitter old man, Hugo's undercover life are put in jeopardy. Turn the pages, follow the illustrations and enter an unforgettable new world!
From bestselling authors Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner, The Amish Clockmaker (Book 3 in the Men of Lancaster County series) explores the men of an Amish community in Lancaster County, how their Amish beliefs play out in their unique roles, and the women who change their lives. Newlywed Matthew Zook is expanding his family's tack and feed store when a surprising property dispute puts the remodel on hold—and raises new questions about the location's mysterious past. Decades earlier, the same building housed a clock shop run by a young Amish clockmaker named Clayton Raber. Known for his hot temper, Clayton was arrested for the murder of his beloved wife, a crime almost everyone—including his own family members—believed he'd committed, even after charges were dropped. Isolated and feeling condemned by all, Clayton eventually broke from the church, left Lancaster County, and was never heard from again. Now the only way Matthew can solve the boundary issue and save his family's business is to track down the clockmaker. But does this put Matthew on the trail of a murderer? A timeless novel of truth, commitment, and the power of enduring love, where secrets of the past give way to hope for the future.
This practical, informative and beautifully illustrated book will be essential reading for all those with a passion for mechanical clocks. It will be of particular interest to both amateurs and professionals alike who wish to work on clock cases and restore them in the correct way according to modern best practice. The authors, both experienced horological restorers, examine in detail the restoration processes and provide detailed descriptions, and a wealth of photographs and diagrams. Difficult, and often misunderstood, areas of restoration and conservation are explained in the context of twenty-first century thinking. The haphazard approach to clock case restoration, which has continued in some quarters almost to the present day, is no longer considered appropriate for preservation of the rapidly dwindling stock of clocks that represent our horological heritage. Accordingly, the authors emphasize that sensitive and sympathetic clock case restoration is essential and, indeed, is the most economically attractive approach to adopt. The book outlines the history of the main types of clock case made up to about one hundred years ago, and considers clock case woods and woodworking, and some of the special techniques involved in clock case construction, restoration and conservation. It demonstrates how a new clock case can be constructed, provides a clock case restoration study and describes the restoration of a number of other wooden clock cases. Covering both stone and metal clock cases of the 19th and 20th centuries and including a useful appendix which provides guidelines for restoring and conserving horological objects, this is an essential resource for all those who wish to work on clock cases and restore them in the correct way - whether amateurs or professionals. Beautifully illustrated with 500 colour photographs.
`Big Ben', the great clock and bells at Westminster, is one of the most iconic landmarks in Britain. From the origins of Westminster as the seat of government right up to the celebrations of the Great Clock's 150th anniversary in 2009, this book tells the story of the clock, bells, and tower.
2022 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS WINNER — HISTORY: GENERAL ". . . inherently interesting, unique, and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, community, college, and academic library Physics of Time & Scientific Measurement history collections, and supplemental curriculum studies lists.” —Midwest Book Review "A wonderful look into understanding and recording time, Orzel’s latest is appropriate for all readers who are curious about those ticks and tocks that mark nearly every aspect of our lives." —Booklist “A thorough, enjoyable exploration of the history and science behind measuring time.” —Foreword Reviews It’s all a matter of time—literally. From the movements of the spheres to the slipperiness of relativity, the story of science unfolds through the fascinating history of humanity’s efforts to keep time. Our modern lives are ruled by clocks and watches, smartphone apps and calendar programs. While our gadgets may be new, however, the drive to measure and master time is anything but—and in A Brief History of Timekeeping, Chad Orzel traces the path from Stonehenge to your smartphone. Predating written language and marching on through human history, the desire for ever-better timekeeping has spurred technological innovation and sparked theories that radically reshaped our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Orzel, a physicist and the bestselling author of Breakfast with Einstein and How to Teach Quantum Physics to Your Dog continues his tradition of demystifying thorny scientific concepts by using the clocks and calendars central to our everyday activities as a jumping-off point to explore the science underlying the ways we keep track of our time. Ancient solstice markers (which still work perfectly 5,000 years later) depend on the basic astrophysics of our solar system; mechanical clocks owe their development to Newtonian physics; and the ultra-precise atomic timekeeping that enables GPS hinges on the predictable oddities of quantum mechanics. Along the way, Orzel visits the delicate negotiations involved in Gregorian calendar reform, the intricate and entirely unique system employed by the Maya, and how the problem of synchronizing clocks at different locations ultimately required us to abandon the idea of time as an absolute and universal quantity. Sharp and engaging, A Brief History of Timekeeping is a story not just about the science of sundials, sandglasses, and mechanical clocks, but also the politics of calendars and time zones, the philosophy of measurement, and the nature of space and time itself. For those interested in science, technology, or history, or anyone who’s ever wondered about the instruments that divide our days into moments: the time you spend reading this book may fly, and it is certain to be well spent.
