BC Gnomonics Site Launch

Welcome to BC Gnomonics!

On this site, you will find a variety of resources diagramming the practical uses of sundials, astrolabes, nocturnals, armillary spheres, volvelles, and more.

With its array of hands-on video demonstrations, BC Gnomonics aims to aid anyone with an interest in astronomical and horary history.

Hands-on Approach

The primary goal of this platform is to practically demonstrate instruments and highlight their practicality should they be used today.

Whether visitors are in possession of their own instruments or are simply interested in learning about and viewing the devices covered, BC Gnomonics seeks to create valuable resources that preserve and celebrate the practical utility of these timekeepers of the past.

Awareness of Process

A secondary goal of the site is to encourage visitors to experience for themselves the sense of heightened awareness that comes from using instruments such as sundials.

Sundials harness the natural sphere, channeling its forces through precision engineering. This process constitutes not a "telling" of time, but an effortful measuring. Especially when using a portable dial, the user engages in a sort of three-way partnership with the sundial and the sun itself.

The user must take care to properly orient the dial, which itself must be precisely crafted to receive sunlight. And above all else, the sun must cast its rays upon the dial. If any one of these three components is not present, accurate time cannot be ascertained.

The simple act of operating a sundial gives its user a greater awareness of the natural movements that allow it to function.

How to Navigate

To view all the resources available for a given instrument, click its picture. Instruments can be chosen from the master list on the landing page ("All Instruments"), or they can be filtered based on subtype in "Instruments by Classification."

The search page can also be used to find specific instrument pages or blog posts which contain select keywords.

Whether your visit is for research or pleasure (perhaps both), I welcome you to BC Gnomonics!

Evan Boxer-Cook

Founder