Sundial
date: label: date made
content: ca 1750
name: label: Associated Name
content: Copp Family
notes: label: Description
content: The Copp family of Stonington, Connecticut used this pewter sundial around 1785. The dial has three holes to mount the sundial horizontally, with the initials “NM” cast at the clocks’ “6” position. Accurately aligning the tip of the sundial’s gnomon to true north allows the gnomon’s shadow to fall on the hour of the dial plate. The NM is possibly Nathan Miller from Rhode Island, the son of founder Josiah Miller, whose name appears on several similar sundials of the era.
label: Description
content: The Copp Collection contains a variety of household objects that the Copp family of Connecticut used from around 1700 until the mid-1800s. Part of the Puritan Great Migration from England to Boston, the family eventually made their home in New London County, Connecticut, where their textiles, clothes, utensils, ceramics, books, bibles, and letters provide a vivid picture of daily life. More of the collection from the Division of Home and Community Life can be viewed by searching accession number 28810.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New England
label: place made
content: United States: Connecticut
label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts
label: place made
content: United States: Rhode Island
label: place used
content: United States: Connecticut, Stonington
topic: label: Subject
content: Timekeeping
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
label: See more items in
content: Copp Collection
label: See more items in
content: Domestic Furnishings
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of John Brenton Copp
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: DL.006505
label: accession number
content: 28810
label: catalog number
content: 6505
objectType: label: Object Name
content: sundial
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: pewter (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 1 5/8 in x 3 in; 4.1275 cm x 7.62 cm