Orrery
date: label: date made
content: ca 1800
name: label: maker
content: James Giles
notes: label: Description
content: This clockwork mechanism shows Mercury, Venus, Earth and Moon orbiting the Sun. There is a dial for the Moon’s Age and another for Solar Time. The “JAMES GILES, Master of GRAVESEND / FREE-SCHOOL, Invt et Fecit.” inscription probably refers to the James Giles Jr. who built a curious sundial at Milton Church, and wrote a text on English grammar.
label: Description
content: Ref: Henry C. King and John R. Millburn, <i>Geared to the Stars. The Evolution of Planetariums, Orreries, and Astronomical Clocks</i> (Toronto, 1978), pp. 166-167.
label: Description
content: Robert Pockock, <i>The History of the Incorporated Town and Parishes of Gravesend and Milton</i> (Gravesend, 1797), p. 117.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United Kingdom: England, London
topic: label: Subject
content: Astronomy
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Physical Sciences
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content: Globes
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content: Measuring & Mapping
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: PH.322330
label: catalog number
content: 322330
label: accession number
content: 247833
objectType: label: Object Name
content: orrery
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: wood (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 62.2 cm x 44.7 cm; 24 1/2 in x 17 19/32 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 23 5/8 in x 16 in x 16 in; 60.0075 cm x 40.64 cm x 40.64 cm