Curator's Chronicles I hope you are enjoying the run up to the festive season. It’s great to take stock at wintertime. As such, the Clocktime team are delighted by all the support and feedback we have received from visitors since the digital museum launched a mere nine months ago. I recently spent an exciting week in London, which has some of the best libraries in the world. Many are open to the public. While there, I did research at the Guildhall Library, which holds an internationally renowned collection on London’s history. To study at the Guildhall, review their library catalogue, then email the library a list of sources you want and the date of your visit. They’ll have the books and a desk waiting for you upon arrival! I also spent a fabulous day at the Clockmakers’ Museum at London’s Science Museum. While there I was delighted to meet its Curator Anna Rolls and joined an inspired guided tour by Andrew Canter, which I highly recommend. Andrew was the Outreach & Learning Coordinator for the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers and has just been made The Collection Committee Chair, which is an exciting development. (He is also Editor in Chief of MrWatchMaster, a uniquely authoritative resource, covering news, opinion, reviews and entertainment about the watch sector.) The Clockmakers’ Museum tour is a whistle-stop guide to the impressive museum as shown by someone who knows the collection inside-out and is delighted to interact with the public. You can book a free tour here. My trip culminated with the Dingwall-Below Lecture at the British Museum – one of the most renowned events on the horological calendar in the UK. This year’s lecture by Michael Kory from the Staatliche Kunstammlungen in Dresden was called, Geared to the planets: Can a clock predict the subtle motions of the heavens? Michael revealed the inner workings of several 16th century royal planetary clocks, also known as orreries. You can read about Michael’s research and how he and his team used CT scans to reveal the implementation of (then) new astrological theories here. Finally, I’d like to thank eagle-eyed Clocktime museum visitors David V and Marcus B for their observations. This is part of the beauty of an online museum: it allows us to be responsive to observers and amend our exhibits as needed in rapid time. If you have a question, please visit our brand new Clocktime FAQs page. Keep sending questions to me here. If you or your group are interested in having me or a Clocktime colleague speak at an event in person or online, let me know. As we count down the seconds to the new year, we look forward to what 2025 will bring. Watch this space for breaking news on new exhibits, research and events in the coming year. As ever, I wish you all excellent timing. Until next time, happy holidays! Kristin Leith
