The Book of Sun-dials (in progress)
I am delighted to report that all the page images for Margaret Gatty's "Book of Sun-dials" have now been scanned and are available on-line at the Celebration of Women Writers. If you are interested transcribing and proof-reading as a summer project, consider working on a section of this book!

A dozen sections still remain to be assigned. Each section is 20 pages long (with the exception of the last one, which is 26 pages.) These sections are from Gatty's collection of Sundial Mottoes.

Pages 241-260 217. DILIGE ... 323. FUERAT
Pages 261-280 323. FUERAT (cont.) ... 437. HORAM
Pages 281-300 438. HORAM ... 533. JAM
Pages 301-320 534. J'ATAN ... 676. LUMEN
Pages 321-340 676. LUMEN (cont.) ... 809. NON
Pages 341-360 809. NON (cont.) ... 932. ORIENS
Pages 361-380 932. ORIENS (cont.) ... 1051. QUID
Pages 381-400 1052. QUID ... 1176. SIC
Pages 401-420 1177. SIC ... 1306. TAK
Pages 421-440 1306. TAK (cont.) ... 1416. TIME
Pages 441-460 1417. TIME ... 1549. UTERE
Pages 461-486 1550. UTINAM ... 1682. ZEIG

Each motto gives the original wording (in whatever language it appeared), an English translation, and information about where the dial (or dials) with that motto were found. Here are a couple of examples, from the first 20 pages of mottoes, completed by transcriber extraordinaire Carolyn Benck (thank you again for all your work!) I particularly liked number 5, which can be read as literal or thought provoking. Number 93 has a very amusing anecdote attached.


5. A LUMINE MOTUS. Moved by the light.
Copied in 1870 from a dial at Sestri Ponente, near Genoa.


93. BEGONE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS.

Is inscribed on a wooden dial of a house at High Lane, near Disley, in Cheshire. ... "When the dial was put up, the artist inquired whether he should (as was customary) paint a motto under it. The Benchers assented, and appointed him to call at the Library on a certain day and hour, at which time they would have agreed upon a motto. It appears, however, that they had totally forgotten this; and when the artist or his messenger called at the Library at the time appointed, he found no one but a cross-looking old gentleman poring over some musty book. 'Please, sir, I am come for the motto for the sun-dial. 'What do you want?' was the pettish answer: 'why do you disturb me?' 'Please, sir, the gentleman told me I was to call at this hour for a motto for the sun-dial.' 'Begone about your business!' was the testy reply. The man, either by design or mistake, chose to take this as an answer to his inquiry, and accordingly painted in large letters under the dial, BEGONE ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS. The Benchers, when they saw it, decided that it was very appropriate, and that they would let it stand – chance having done their work for them as well as they could have done it for themselves. Anything which reminds us of the lapse of time should remind us also of the right employment of time in doing whatever business is required to be done."

If you run into characters such as Greek or Latin, and don't know how to transcribe them, just note them with a * and I'll fill them in for you.

Much of the rest of the book has been transcribed and completed already. I have finalized all the sections I've received. I am still waiting for the following assigned sections. If you sent me something for one of these sections, I didn't receive it, so please contact me again.

I. INTRODUCTION [Karen Babich] 1
II. ANTIQUE DIALS [Simone Fluter] 29
IV. EARLY ENGLISH DIALS – continued [Dona Wunschel] 62
VI. RENAISSANCE DIALS, DETACHED [Karen Babich] 88
X. SCOTTISH DIALS [Susan Wais] 140
ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF SUN-DIALS. BY J. WIGHAM RICHARDSON [Liz Pysar] 489
Pages 221-240 102. BREVIS ... 216. DIGITUS [Carolyn Benck]

You can see the work in progress at:
http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/gatty/sundials/sundials.html

My thanks to you all! Enjoy a wonderful summer.
Mary Mark Ockerbloom, Editor, Celebration of Women Writers