1940s Campbell Stokes British Cast Bronze, Brass and Glass Sunshine Recorder

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1940s Campbell Stokes British Cast Bronze, Brass and Glass Sunshine Recorder

About the Item

The Campbell–Stokes recorder (sometimes called a Stokes sphere) is a kind of sunshine recorder. It was invented by John Francis Campbell in 1853 and modified in 1879 by Sir George Gabriel Stokes. The original design by Campbell consisted of a glass sphere set into a wooden bowl with the sun burning a trace on the bowl. Stokes's refinement was to make the housing out of metal and to have a card holder set behind the sphere. The unit is designed to record the hours of bright sunshine which will burn a hole through the card. The glass sphere – typically 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter – is designed to focus the rays from the sun onto a card mounted at the back and is set on a stand. The card is held in place by grooves of which there are three overlapping sets, to allow for the altitude of the sun during different seasons of the year. The recording of each day goes onto one card. In the northern hemisphere the winter cards are used from 15 October to 29 February, the equinox cards from 1 March to 11 April and 3 September to 14 October. The summer cards are therefore used from 12 April to 2 September. Each card is marked as to the hour, with local noon being in the centre, and is read in tenths. In the northern hemisphere, the unit is set in a stand facing south to enable the maximum amount of sun to be recorded. It is important to place the unit in an area where the sun will not be blocked by buildings, trees or flagpoles. A modification to the standard unit for Polar regions is the addition of a second, north facing, sphere and card, to record the sunlight during the summer when it remains in the sky for 24 hours. We have professionally polished the item and supply with a selection of recorder cards.

Creator:
Campbell Stokes (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 8.67 in (22 cm)Width: 7.88 in (20 cm)Depth: 5.91 in (15 cm)
Style:
Industrial (In the Style Of)
Materials and Techniques:
Brass,Bronze,Glass,Cast,Polished
Place of Origin:
England
Period:
1940-1949
Date of Manufacture:
1940
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Leicester, GB
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU2237310087891