Dear Friends, If you are not familiar with the book "Die Uhr" by Anton Lubeke, it is a very interesting resource for dialists. The first 70 pages are devoted to sundials, and include many illustrations of sundials - a remarkable number of which are unusual or unique. The balance of the book is devoted to other timekeepers, German and otherwise.
My copy is in German, published in 1958 by VDI-VERLAG DUSSELDORF. I wonder if anyone knows of an English translation. I am particularly interested in the the book's frontispiece illustration. It is an old woodcut of a man making a sundial by holding a rod between the base of his left thumb and forefinger. When properly held, the rod becomes a gnomon and the hours are indicated by shadows cast on the fingers of his left hand. The woodcut is surrounded by German(?) text, presumably instructions for the procedure. It appears to be in the form of a poem. I wonder if any German-reading subscribers to this list might be willing to help me with a translation of the text. I have put the illustration on a special Web page for readers of this mailing list: http://www.shadow.net/~bobt/handdial Some time ago I surfed into a page with a modern illustration of a rod-and-fingers sundial which included a good description of its use, but I have not been able to find it again. I believe it may have been linked to the Adler Planetarium site. Does any reader have other information about this handy (get it?),and highly portable method of timekeeping? Best regards, Bob Terwilliger
