Re: Re sundial atlas

[Roger Bailey]

There are significant cultural difference in these notes on the sundial 
atlas. In Italy, feral cats eat pasta, but not the cats in the UK. The 
cultures are different in many ways. In Italy and most of continental 
Europe, the dominant sundial type is the vertical declining dial on a 
building. In the UK the brass/bronze sundial in a garden or churchyard 
dominates. Many historic sundials have been stolen in the UK to sell to 
collectors in America or scrap dealers for their copper content. Few dials 
on the continent are at risk in the same way. We need to recognize the 
specific risks giving the precise location of any valuable sundial.

I have enjoyed viewing an old bronze horizontal sundial in a churchyard in 
the English Lakes district dedicated to Wordsworth. I hope it is still there 
as it is at risk. I have also enjoyed viewing the equatorial ring and 
astronomical quadrant on Santa Marie Novella in Florence, placed by Egnatio 
Danti in 1574, to determine the exact value of the obliquity. Both are 
important in many ways but the English dial is more at risk. Neither are yet 
in the sundial atlas. I agree with the concerns expressed by John. When 
marking a dial on the sundial atlas or elsewhere, consider first is the dial 
worth noting and second, what are the risks of showing its precise location.

Regards,

Roger Bailey
>From North America where we have very few heritage sundials at risk .
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From: "Fabio" <fabio.sav...@nonvedolora.it>
Sent: Saturday, August 07, 2010 3:54 PM
To: <sund...@rrz.uni-koeln.de>
Subject: Re sundial atlas

> Dear John
>
> It looks like a call not to use Sundial Atlas rather than to appreciate 
> its popular development useful to everyone.
> I would remind that:
>
> - in SA you can indicate a sundial on the map in the square of the nearest 
> city, and not exactly where it is, indicating the rightness of the 
> position as 50m, 500m, 5km (about 3 miles) or more then 5km, and without 
> revealing the exact location, but still allowing to obtain info on the 
> sundial.
>
> - the publication of the photo of a sundial is the best burglar alarm, 
> since it is assumed that a sundial can work only when exposed to the Sun, 
> where everyone could recognize it if its picture is known.
> I would not recognize a stolen sundial even I saw it because I don't know 
> the photos of the stolen sundials.
> (on SA a sundial may be classified as 'stolen')
>
> - it is not possible to know who will read the catalogs with censuses of 
> the sundials which are periodically published, therefore is not internet 
> to be dangerous. You should also advise not to publish catalogs or books 
> on sundials.
>
> - on the web there are now thousands of photo of sundials posted on social 
> networks by photographers or simply curious. I think it is better to 
> handle these pictures on a site where they also assume gnomonic 
> significance and where the management of the diallist can handle all info.
>
> - if a sundial is in a square it is already public. Probably it also is in 
> the website of the city as a tourist attraction, or in the website of the 
> restaurant or hotel beside (that may have 'sundial' in their name), or in 
> the website of a diallist.
>
> - the danger, on the contrary, is to keep the data in the dark of a drawer 
> where nobody can consult them unless one decides to sell them, by 
> publishing a book. On SA it will be possible to advertise these books 
> because I think one can appreciate all the different ways to consult these 
> data.
>
> - I know where is the Monna Lisa, probabily thieves also know where it is, 
> it surely must be protected but no one thinks to hide where it is.
>
> My English is not sophisticated, I hope to have not created 
> misunderstandings but I think that the problem of thefts is not SA.
> I share this problem with you and I accept suggestions if you have any, 
> but it would be more evident if there were UK sundials on SA. More than 
> one at least, i think.
>
> Best regards, Fabio Savian
>
>
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