Lost Damaged & Restored Sundials
Some sundials go missing, others are blown up with dynamite or destroyed by vandals. Fortunately some of these dials are recovered and restored
World's Largest Sundial Cracks
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Sudhanshu Mishra reports in Mail-Online-India that the World Heritage Site at Jaipur, the Jantar Mantar astronomical observatory is in severe decline because of neglect.
Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, also known as Singh II, directed several the building of a astronomical observatories at Ujjain, Varanasi, Jaipur, Mathura, and Deli. From his research, Jai Singh II concluded that accuracy of observation could only be obtained with large, stationary instruments. The giant Jaipur observatory consisting of 16 different instruments took 15 years to build and was completed in 1734.
Sundial History and Vandal Dynamite
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Want to know the history of Cranmer Park in Denver Colorado and why the current Erickson equatorial dial is there on the terrazzo plaza? Downtown Main Street provides a glimpse of its history and the dynamiting of a dial that stood in the park for 25 years before. Read the article in Downtown Main Street and visit the North American Sundial Registry Entry NASS Denver Sundial-24.Moore Sundial Stolen and Now Recovered
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Update: On Saturday July 22nd, less than two weeks after the Henry Moore sundial was stolen, it was recovered by detectives after receiving tips from the British Crimewatch television series. Three young men, all from Essex, have been arrested on suspicion of two counts of theft and are currently in police custody.
Chatham Square Dial Vandalized - Again
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[photo credit: Steve Bisson -
Savannah Morning News ]
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Lesley Conn reports in the Savannah Morning News the restoration of its vandalized sundial. This is no college prank, but a malicious and repetitive attack on the Louis B. Toomer sundial in Chatham Square in the historic district of Savannah, Georgia. Conn reports that “City officials are adding new elements to the repair process – a public plea for help and a reminder to the monument marauder that destruction of public property is a felony. They made their case Tuesday after sealing a new sundial to the stone base.”
Sun City Dial Re-Dedicated
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[photo courtesy of John Carmichael]
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The restored Sun City dial re-dedication ceremony held October 7th, 2011 was a huge success. The sundial originally schedule for demolition is proudly located at The Sundial Recreation Center located at 14801N. 103rd Avenue, Sun City, AZ 85351.
Lost and Found
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[photo credit: Andrew Bray - The Miami Sudent News]
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Some dials are lost, others found. Last year students walking through the central quad of Miami University located in Oxford, Ohio, saw that the Tri Delta Sundial, a nearly 2 meter armillary dial, was missing. The armillary was a gift to the university on its 50th anniversary in 1962 by the Miami chapter of Tri Delta. [See the NASS Registry for details]
Sun City Sundial Saved
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The monumental sundial in Sun City Arizona has been saved! The famous dial has been totally restored to its former glory, perhaps even better than the original. On Friday, October 7, 2011 a formal re-dedication ceremony will begin at 8:30 am.
Avington Park Sundial Stolen
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A nearly three-century old brass sundial was stolen in the early overnight hours of August 9 from the grounds of Avington Park in Itchen Abbas, near Winchester (England). Local officials say the dial is large enough it would have required several people to move it. The dial is valued at over £100,000 and is very distinctive.