Harrison awarded the Longitude Prize In 1773, the Board of Longitude finally awarded John Harrison the prize money for manufacturing H4, the first timekeeper that proved dependable and useful for establishing a ship’s longitude at sea: the greatest scientific problem of that time. It took roughly 50 years of work, including the delivery of five marine timekeepers for testing, for Harrison to achieve this. While he was never awarded the full £20,000 prize, he did manage to win the most money of all the contenders.[1] In her book, Longitude, science writer Dava Sobel provides a full history of Harrison's dramatic quest to solve the problem of determining longitude at sea. You can also read an account Harrison’s trials and tribulations on Clocktime. End Note [1] Sobel 2011, 148. Reference Sobel, D. 2011. Longitude: The true story of a lone genius who solved the greatest scientific problem of his time. London: Harper Perennial. Image Credit Detail from a painting of John Harrison (1693–1776) / Thomas King, c1767. Oil on canvas; 125x100cm in gilt frame. Object Number: 1884-217. Science Museum Group Collection © The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co65456/john-harrison-oil-painting-oil-painting-portrait
