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valkyrie_rider
·Still within the Harrison theme, I was able to see this in 'metal' when I last visited Cambridge (UK). For further info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpus_Clock
Longitude: book review
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Waltesefalcon
·The Chronophage!
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valkyrie_rider
·A close up of the H4:
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valkyrie_rider
·And the H5 (you may notice that it is simpler in decoration and it was made to look similar to a compass). Harrison did this on purpose, first because he was asked to make a copy of the H4 *without* access to it or his notes, being at an old age he had to race against the time.
Also because he was trying to make it more appealing to Mariners and the King.
Also because he was trying to make it more appealing to Mariners and the King.
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Waltesefalcon
·K1 and K2 (the admiralty's copies of H4) both had interesting histories. K1 went with Cook on his second and third voyages. K2 went with William Bligh to Tahiti and was kept by Fletcher Christian after the famous mutiny he led.
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SpeedyPhill
·410 years ago " Clockwork Universe "
In 1613, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei constructed his celatone observation helmet to focus on the moons of Jupiter.
Like most astronomers of his day, Galileo believed and proved that the Universe was the ultimate time keeper.
Photo shows a 2013 reconstructed replica by Matthew Dockrey at the Royal Obs Greenwich - London.
The other photo is the council room at the Royal Astronomical Society in London, which has an interesting library to say the least !
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In 1613, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei constructed his celatone observation helmet to focus on the moons of Jupiter.
Like most astronomers of his day, Galileo believed and proved that the Universe was the ultimate time keeper.
Photo shows a 2013 reconstructed replica by Matthew Dockrey at the Royal Obs Greenwich - London.
The other photo is the council room at the Royal Astronomical Society in London, which has an interesting library to say the least !
.
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SpeedyPhill
·470 years ago ... Longitude by mechanical clock
In 1553, Flemish mathematician/cartographer Reinerus Gemma Frisius, who perfected astrolabe & cross-staff astronomical instruments, was the first to describe how an accurate clock could be used to calculate longitude.
Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius and Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator were among Frisius' pupils.
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In 1553, Flemish mathematician/cartographer Reinerus Gemma Frisius, who perfected astrolabe & cross-staff astronomical instruments, was the first to describe how an accurate clock could be used to calculate longitude.
Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius and Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator were among Frisius' pupils.
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tapaptpat
·In addition to the Books and DVD about John Harrison
The H1, H2, H3 and H4 clocks can be viewed at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
https://www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory/attractions/john-harrisons-marine-timekeepers
Whilst out and about in London you can swing by the Science museum to see more of his work
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/clockmakers-museum
The H1, H2, H3 and H4 clocks can be viewed at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.
https://www.rmg.co.uk/royal-observatory/attractions/john-harrisons-marine-timekeepers
Incredible technology meets beautiful craftsmanship, visit the clocks that changed the world. John Harrison's marine timekeepers are arguably the most important ever made.
- Visit H1, H2, H3 and H4, developed and constructed over John Harrison's life time.
Whilst out and about in London you can swing by the Science museum to see more of his work
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/see-and-do/clockmakers-museum
Perhaps the most important group within the Collection is the marine timekeepers, illustrating the importance of horology in the science of navigation. Examples include a marine timekeeper by Henry Sully (1724), a silver deck watch by Thomas Earnshaw (used by Captain George Vancouver in the discovery by Europeans of the Island now bearing his name) and the celebrated 5th marine timekeeper made by John Harrison and completed in 1770.
Edited:
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BLOW UP
·The Royal Observatory Greenwich is a wonderful and completely free place to visit (all of the time's I have been), and their collection of John Harrison pieces are breathtaking..
Anyone thinking about visiting London, I'd wholeheartedly recommend it; it's also an excellent example of non-theistic architecture by Christopher Wren. With a fantastic vista of the Old Royal Naval College by an even greater architect (in my opinion) Nicholas Hawksmoor, together with Wren's Queen Anne Court, Queen Mary Court and King William Courts.
Anyone thinking about visiting London, I'd wholeheartedly recommend it; it's also an excellent example of non-theistic architecture by Christopher Wren. With a fantastic vista of the Old Royal Naval College by an even greater architect (in my opinion) Nicholas Hawksmoor, together with Wren's Queen Anne Court, Queen Mary Court and King William Courts.
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SpeedyPhill
·Greenwich astronomical observatory is a magical place, one of two hundred observatories I've visited worldwide in order to photograph all telescopes, mounts, scientific equipment, clocks, etc... 😗
Greenwich observatory and the National Maritime Museum have become a horological mecca but we have to realise that John Harrison's marine seaclocks could have been lost for ever as over the centuries these had been dumped in a damp basement!
100 years ago, Royal Navy LtCmdr Rupert Thomas Gould (1890-1948) salvaged Harrison's Marine sea clocks and got permission to start cleaning them, storing the H1 to H3 clocks in a safe place (his own house in Epsom, 20 kilometers south of London).
Must-read:
Time Restored: The Harrison Timekeepers and RT Gould, the man who knew (almost) everything (2006 Oxford Univ Press)
ISBN 978-0198568025
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Greenwich observatory and the National Maritime Museum have become a horological mecca but we have to realise that John Harrison's marine seaclocks could have been lost for ever as over the centuries these had been dumped in a damp basement!
100 years ago, Royal Navy LtCmdr Rupert Thomas Gould (1890-1948) salvaged Harrison's Marine sea clocks and got permission to start cleaning them, storing the H1 to H3 clocks in a safe place (his own house in Epsom, 20 kilometers south of London).
Must-read:
Time Restored: The Harrison Timekeepers and RT Gould, the man who knew (almost) everything (2006 Oxford Univ Press)
ISBN 978-0198568025
.
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SpeedyPhill
·The 2000 movie " Longitude " with Michael Gambon as clockmaker John Harrison and Jeremy Irons as Royal Navy LtCmdr Rupert Gould, really does an excellent job in telling the story, in parallel both the 18th and 20th century stories.
During 3 hours, it clearly shows how the Board of Longitude astronomers stubbornly preferred an astronomical solution such as the Lunar-distance method (although the New Moon cannot be observed for 9 days and bad weather is a factor) or the Galilean Moons of Jupiter method (same problem observing tiny moons from a rolling ship and the bad weather factor) and were certainly not in favor of a mechanical solution to the problem of finding Longitude at sea!
. ☕
During 3 hours, it clearly shows how the Board of Longitude astronomers stubbornly preferred an astronomical solution such as the Lunar-distance method (although the New Moon cannot be observed for 9 days and bad weather is a factor) or the Galilean Moons of Jupiter method (same problem observing tiny moons from a rolling ship and the bad weather factor) and were certainly not in favor of a mechanical solution to the problem of finding Longitude at sea!
. ☕
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BLOW UP
·The 2000 movie " Longitude " with Michael Gambon as clockmaker John Harrison and Jeremy Irons as Royal Navy LtCmdr Rupert Gould, really does an excellent job in telling the story, in parallel both the 18th and 20th century stories.
During 3 hours, it clearly shows how the Board of Longitude astronomers stubbornly preferred an astronomical solution such as the Lunar-distance method (although the New Moon cannot be observed for 9 days and bad weather is a factor) or the Galilean Moons of Jupiter method (same problem observing tiny moons from a rolling ship and the bad weather factor) and were certainly not in favor of a mechanical solution to the problem of finding Longitude at sea!
. ☕
Michael Gambon
Jeremy Irons
Brian Cox
Bill Nighy
Ian Hart
++++
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BLOW UP
·470 years ago ... Longitude by mechanical clock
In 1553, Flemish mathematician/cartographer Reinerus Gemma Frisius, who perfected astrolabe & cross-staff astronomical instruments, was the first to describe how an accurate clock could be used to calculate longitude.
Flemish physician Andreas Vesalius and Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator were among Frisius' pupils.
.
That painting looks a bit like Hans Holbein, can't really tell from the photo it may not be as sharp as a Holbein.. perhaps its 'school of' or by one of his contemporaries??
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sheepdoll
·Thanks for the recommendation.. I just put it on my watch list.. What a fantastic cast!!
Michael Gambon
Jeremy Irons
Brian Cox
Bill Nighy
Ian Hart
++++
Don't forget Stephan Fry. Oh the poor dogs.
Not the best photograph. Sort of a selfie with H4. Helps to know people like Johnathan Betts. I spent most of the day waiting outside his office. One of the docents took pity on me and let me have a rare photo with it. Not quite sure why photography was not permitted. There are plenty of photos of it. I have the facsimile of the book showing it disassembled.
Digital pictures back then were fairly new. Sometimes I think it helps to have weird cameras.
Edit: and Tim McHenery, best know for Black Adder. I kept expecting Rowan Atkison to show up.
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Waltesefalcon
·The 2000 movie " Longitude " with Michael Gambon as clockmaker John Harrison and Jeremy Irons as Royal Navy LtCmdr Rupert Gould, really does an excellent job in telling the story, in parallel both the 18th and 20th century stories.
During 3 hours, it clearly shows how the Board of Longitude astronomers stubbornly preferred an astronomical solution such as the Lunar-distance method (although the New Moon cannot be observed for 9 days and bad weather is a factor) or the Galilean Moons of Jupiter method (same problem observing tiny moons from a rolling ship and the bad weather factor) and were certainly not in favor of a mechanical solution to the problem of finding Longitude at sea!
. ☕
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Evitzee
·I visited the Royal Observatory and Greenwich Meridian about 40 years ago. At that time they would have all four of Harrison's timekeepers up and running, they were lined up in a row, each in its own glass case, the large balances putting on their own different show. I was just lucky enough to be there on the day when they were all time checked and wound. I remember the white gloved curator opening the glass case for H4, turning it over and winding it with its elaborate key. Sometime after that they concluded that by running these clocks continuously they would eventually need replacement parts and would no longer be the original Harrison clocks, especially H4. Now they only run them on special occasions.
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Canuck
·Thanks for the recommendation.. I just put it on my watch list.. What a fantastic cast!!
Michael Gambon
Jeremy Irons
Brian Cox
Bill Nighy
Ian Hart
++++
There were females in the cast as well. Can’t forget them.
Anna Chancellor as Rupert Gould’s wife.
Gemma Jones as Harrison’s wife.
Barbara Leigh Hunt as Gould’s mother.
Lucy Ackhurst as the nurse.
Heike Makatsch as Queen Charlotte.
And several other “walk-ons”.
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Paul m
·John Harrison was born only a few miles from where I live. Passed the house regularly for years and never took much notice, then one day I stopped to read the blue plaque above the door ( in the UK circular blue plaques on a property usually give details of a famous person or event that happened there) and it was John Harrison birthplace.The house is near Nostell priory about 5 miles from the Yorkshire city of Wakefield. I believe the original house was demolished many years ago and the house there now was it’s replacement.
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BLOW UP
·There were females in the cast as well. Can’t forget them.
Anna Chancellor as Rupert Gould’s wife.
Gemma Jones as Harrison’s wife.
Barbara Leigh Hunt as Gould’s mother.
Lucy Ackhurst as the nurse.
Heike Makatsch as Queen Charlotte.
And several other “walk-ons”.
Not forgetting.. but I don't think I know any of these female actors??
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sheepdoll
·Not forgetting.. but I don't think I know any of these female actors??
I like a film Called Fairy Tale:A true story. There is something about seeing the 6 foot tall Anna Chancellor playing Peter Pan and being flown on a hypothetical west end production.
Curious how the Harrison/Gould story has become the stuff of myths legends and fairy tales.
