Thomas Blunt, London c1800

 

A George III, 12 inches diameter, bronze horizontal sundial engraved with the maker’s name T Blunt Cornhill, London. Above the maker’s name the dial is engraved Lat 52 XX - the exact latitude now indistinct.

The centre of the dial is engraved with an 8-point compass rose and the equation of time showing the difference between solar time and clock time throughout the year.

The dial was made for a latitude of about 52½ degrees North (approx) which is the latitude of Birmingham.

Thomas Blunt was apprenticed to Edward Nairne in 1760 and the two men were in partnership, trading as Nairne & Blunt, from 1774 until 1793 when the partnership ended. Blunt worked at 22 Cornhill until he died in 1823. Blunt worked with his son, also named Thomas, who worked until about 1825.

The dial is graduated at 2-minute intervals between the hours of 4.00 am and 8.00 pm and is also engraved with diamond shaped half-hour markers.

An inner ring is graduated in half and quarter hours. The dial has a good dark green patination. This is a very useable sundial as the engraved scales are still very clear and easy to read.

Stock No. C1124