Curator's Chronicles Hello Clocktimers! Happy Springtime! It’s been a quiet but busy last couple of months, planning new exhibits, doing research and, as of April, enjoying Springtime’s shift into longer, sunnier days. Springtime is also exam time for students. Recently, I had the pleasure of visiting students at West Dean College of Arts, Design, Craft & Conservation. The College is situated on a 6,350-acre estate located in the picturesque village of West Dean near Chichester, West Sussex. It was the former home of the poet and surrealist art collector, Edward James. West Dean offers a comprehensive programme in horology and clock conservation, for foundation, undergraduate and post graduate degrees. It is responsible for the training of many esteemed colleagues in the field. Alumni include Anna Rolls, the Curator of the Clockmakers’ Museum in London and Tabea Rude, the Curator of Clocks at the UhrenMuseum in Vienna. West Dean’s Horology Subject Leader, Malcolm Archer showed me around the college and its clock facilities. He also arranged for me to sit down with horology students and give them a tour of Clocktime. I let their curiosity guide me, showing them how to peel back the layers of information on the Clocktime website. I also gave them tips on how to use the website’s advanced search feature, glossary and bibliography to support their studies. I also saw what the students are working on, such as the cylinder escapement that MFA student Dan Purvey is making for his project. The students were inspiring, creative and interesting. They were of different ages and backgrounds and hailed from all over the world. Many thanks to Malcolm for letting me spend the afternoon with them. His dedication to the horology programme and his students is impressive. The time I spent at West Dean made me want to go back to my studies. It’s a very special place. Finally, we’ve recently published a new Clocktime story about Thomas Tompion, which you can read here. Tompion is regarded as the ‘Father of English Clockmaking.’ He produced exceptional clocks and watches, dominated the early clockmaking market and was the first maker to apply mass production methods to watches. Clocktime is designed with students in mind. If you, your group or institution would like me to discuss (in person or online) how to use Clocktime as a learning resource, please contact me. As ever, I wish you all excellent timing. Until next time Kristin Leith
