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Charles Lincoln 9" Equinoctial Ring Dial
[Text discription below.]
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50025
A Highly Decorative & Rare Universal Equinoctial Ring Dial:
English ca. 1765. This high precision Equinoctial Ring Dial is made entirely of brass and a single, miniature iron bolt in the pin-hole gnomon. The dial is 9 inches in diameter (23.0 cm), excluding schackle, 6 mm thick and weighs slightly over 1 Kg (1,015.6 g). It is signed in script on the reverse of the equinoctial ring: C. Lincoln London. The outer meridian ring is engraved with a latitude scale full circle (0-90°; four times), indicating that the Dial was manufactured for use worldwide, in either hemisphere. Only the date and one’s latitude are needed to determine the apparent solar time. The latitude scale is further subdivided into 1° increments, all above a running wheat leaf border. The wheat leaf border indicating possible membership to the London Trade Guilds. The hinged equinoctial chapter ring is divided every 2 minutes of time full circle (0-12 hrs; twice) with numbered engravings of 20-40-60 between each hour (Roman numerals.) Every half hour is engraved with a fleur-de-lys. The hour and minute scale are repeated on the inner edge of the ring. The reverse has the unusual feature of having an additional ring of running wheat-leaf border on the outer edge. The suspension assembly is fitted with a large 4 cm finger ring, and engraved with a single latitude cursor. The suspension assembly is fitted to a sliding ring on the circumference of the meridian ring to set the latitude.
The highly engraved central bridge has decorative scroll work on each end, and running wheat-leaf borders on each side. The central rectangular aperture is fitted with a sliding pin-hole gnomon, held in place by two miniature twin-pin spanner nuts attached to a threaded iron bolt. The gnomon is adjustable to the correct solar declination using a date scale on one face, and a zodiacal scale with ± 23.5° Æ scale on the other. Scripted indications for North & South Declination are given on each end of the scale; i.e. “North Decli” and “South Decli” The date scale has engravings for each month of the year which are further subdivided for every day of the year, i.e. Jan 1-31, Feb 1-28, etc. The vernal equinox is set to March 20th, indicating that the dial was made post 1752, the date the Gregorian calendar was adapted in GB, and consistent with a manufacture date within the working life of Charles Lincoln.
The reverse of the dial is engraved with the 0-90° solar altitude scale (Numbered by 10° and subdivided to 0.5°.) on the meridian ring. This was to be used with a removable, shadow-casting straw or pin in the hole on the meridian ring, to measure the solar altitude and zenith distance. The dial is used closed for this purpose, with the suspension bracket set to 0° and the pin inserted in a hole corresponding to 45 degrees on the latitude scale. Historical:
"C. Lincoln London" refers to Charles Lincoln (w 1765-1805) a mathematical and optical instrument maker working in London in the last half of the 18th century. He apprenticed in the spectacle maker’s company in 1758, and was made free on APR 1, 1762. He was appointed as master from 1787-1790. He is recorded as working in Cornhill in 1763 and at 62 Leaden Hall Street, London from 1791-1801 (1).
Instruments by Charles Lincoln are uncommon. A few occasionally surface for sale. An online review of major museum collections does not reveal many examples. According to Clifton, he is said to have produced microscopes, telescopes and barometers, as well as a few other instruments. A signed armillary sphere by him is currently in the NMM (AST0624). Condition: The condition is very fine. The 18th century engraving is exceptional throughout and clearly done by a master of the period. Symbolic representations of the Zodiac Scale are bold, attractive and well executed. A fine example of a high precision and decorative English ring dial, incorporating extensive wheat-leaf borders, fleur-de-lys, and scroll engravings. Provenance: Paul DeCosta Eldred’s JUL 20, 2013. Dr. Benno Brenninkmeyer Collection 2012. (Died age 71.)
David & Yola Coffeen; Tesseract Catalogue 75; No. 13; 2003. Curator's Footnotes: • The present dial appeared in David & Yola Coffeen’s Tesseract catalogue in 2003. It was first offered for sale at the Antique Scientific Instrument Fair in London in 2002. Sometime later, the dial then appeared in the collection of Benno Brenninkmeyer, Boston. Dr. Brenninkmeyer received his Ph.D. in oceanography, and was professor of Geophysics at Boston College. He amassed a collection of ca. 240 antique nautical items. Sadly, after his death in SEP 2012, part of his collection was put up for auction by Eldred’s (East Dennis, MA).
A similar dial was auctioned at Christie’s London, APR 10, 2003; Lot: 44. Bibliography:
1. Clifton, Gloria (1995) Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851, IBSN [0 302 00634 6] p. 169. 2. Higton, Hester (2001) Sundials, An Illustrated History of Portable Dials, ISBN [0 85667 523 7] p. 77-84. 3. The Gregorian Calendar, was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in Feb 1582, but it was not adapted in Great Britain until Sep 1752. This shifted the Vernal Equinox date to Mar 20th. 4. Webster’s signature database at the Adler Planitarium: [historydb.adlerplanitarium.org]. 5. Charles Lincoln's trade card is reproduced here by permission from the British Museum.
English ca. 1765. This high precision Equinoctial Ring Dial is made entirely of brass and a single, miniature iron bolt in the pin-hole gnomon. The dial is 9 inches in diameter (23.0 cm), excluding schackle, 6 mm thick and weighs slightly over 1 Kg (1,015.6 g). It is signed in script on the reverse of the equinoctial ring: C. Lincoln London. The outer meridian ring is engraved with a latitude scale full circle (0-90°; four times), indicating that the Dial was manufactured for use worldwide, in either hemisphere. Only the date and one’s latitude are needed to determine the apparent solar time. The latitude scale is further subdivided into 1° increments, all above a running wheat leaf border. The wheat leaf border indicating possible membership to the London Trade Guilds. The hinged equinoctial chapter ring is divided every 2 minutes of time full circle (0-12 hrs; twice) with numbered engravings of 20-40-60 between each hour (Roman numerals.) Every half hour is engraved with a fleur-de-lys. The hour and minute scale are repeated on the inner edge of the ring. The reverse has the unusual feature of having an additional ring of running wheat-leaf border on the outer edge. The suspension assembly is fitted with a large 4 cm finger ring, and engraved with a single latitude cursor. The suspension assembly is fitted to a sliding ring on the circumference of the meridian ring to set the latitude.
The highly engraved central bridge has decorative scroll work on each end, and running wheat-leaf borders on each side. The central rectangular aperture is fitted with a sliding pin-hole gnomon, held in place by two miniature twin-pin spanner nuts attached to a threaded iron bolt. The gnomon is adjustable to the correct solar declination using a date scale on one face, and a zodiacal scale with ± 23.5° Æ scale on the other. Scripted indications for North & South Declination are given on each end of the scale; i.e. “North Decli” and “South Decli” The date scale has engravings for each month of the year which are further subdivided for every day of the year, i.e. Jan 1-31, Feb 1-28, etc. The vernal equinox is set to March 20th, indicating that the dial was made post 1752, the date the Gregorian calendar was adapted in GB, and consistent with a manufacture date within the working life of Charles Lincoln.
The reverse of the dial is engraved with the 0-90° solar altitude scale (Numbered by 10° and subdivided to 0.5°.) on the meridian ring. This was to be used with a removable, shadow-casting straw or pin in the hole on the meridian ring, to measure the solar altitude and zenith distance. The dial is used closed for this purpose, with the suspension bracket set to 0° and the pin inserted in a hole corresponding to 45 degrees on the latitude scale. Historical:
"C. Lincoln London" refers to Charles Lincoln (w 1765-1805) a mathematical and optical instrument maker working in London in the last half of the 18th century. He apprenticed in the spectacle maker’s company in 1758, and was made free on APR 1, 1762. He was appointed as master from 1787-1790. He is recorded as working in Cornhill in 1763 and at 62 Leaden Hall Street, London from 1791-1801 (1).
Instruments by Charles Lincoln are uncommon. A few occasionally surface for sale. An online review of major museum collections does not reveal many examples. According to Clifton, he is said to have produced microscopes, telescopes and barometers, as well as a few other instruments. A signed armillary sphere by him is currently in the NMM (AST0624). Condition: The condition is very fine. The 18th century engraving is exceptional throughout and clearly done by a master of the period. Symbolic representations of the Zodiac Scale are bold, attractive and well executed. A fine example of a high precision and decorative English ring dial, incorporating extensive wheat-leaf borders, fleur-de-lys, and scroll engravings. Provenance: Paul DeCosta Eldred’s JUL 20, 2013. Dr. Benno Brenninkmeyer Collection 2012. (Died age 71.)
David & Yola Coffeen; Tesseract Catalogue 75; No. 13; 2003. Curator's Footnotes: • The present dial appeared in David & Yola Coffeen’s Tesseract catalogue in 2003. It was first offered for sale at the Antique Scientific Instrument Fair in London in 2002. Sometime later, the dial then appeared in the collection of Benno Brenninkmeyer, Boston. Dr. Brenninkmeyer received his Ph.D. in oceanography, and was professor of Geophysics at Boston College. He amassed a collection of ca. 240 antique nautical items. Sadly, after his death in SEP 2012, part of his collection was put up for auction by Eldred’s (East Dennis, MA).
A similar dial was auctioned at Christie’s London, APR 10, 2003; Lot: 44. Bibliography:
1. Clifton, Gloria (1995) Directory of British Scientific Instrument Makers 1550-1851, IBSN [0 302 00634 6] p. 169. 2. Higton, Hester (2001) Sundials, An Illustrated History of Portable Dials, ISBN [0 85667 523 7] p. 77-84. 3. The Gregorian Calendar, was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in Feb 1582, but it was not adapted in Great Britain until Sep 1752. This shifted the Vernal Equinox date to Mar 20th. 4. Webster’s signature database at the Adler Planitarium: [historydb.adlerplanitarium.org]. 5. Charles Lincoln's trade card is reproduced here by permission from the British Museum.
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