“Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow creeps in its steady pace from day to day to the last syllable of recorded Time.” —Macbeth soliloquy Act 5 Scene 5, by William Shakespeare
About 1450 BC, the sundial came into existence. After observing the natural rhythm of daylight and darkness, civilizations looked for ways to measure time, first with calendars and subsequently with instruments of increasing precision. Clocks with weights, gears and regulators inspired devices, most often with no dial, so that a community would know the correct time.
Ever since mechanical clocks were invented in the Middle Ages, monarchs have recognized their important role in maintaining control of their kingdoms. In 1370 Charles V of France ordered that every clock in the country should be synchronized with the one at his palace. A decree that could not be implemented because, until the pendulum was invented in 1621, clocks were erratic, often losing or gaining more than a quarter of an hour each day.
Queen Elizabeth I of England is reputed to have worn a tiny watch as a ring, incorporating an alarm that would scratch her finger to remind her of engagements and that it was time to move along. George III enjoyed taking watches apart and reassembling them.
So it is October once again and guess what? Soon we all will change our clocks. Spring forward, fall back. This year, at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 4 we will fall back to 1 a.m. Central Standard Time. It seems an unnecessary nuisance, doesn’t it? I have 20 clocks/watches to change and I think I should live in a state that does not change its clocks. Those locations are Arizona, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Yes, I think living in Hawaii would fit the bill!
Benjamin Franklin suggested in a 1784 essay that daylight savings time would be a good idea. However it did not become a standard practice in the United States until 1966. During World War I and II in order to take advantage of longer daylight hours and to save energy for the war production, Daylight Saving Time was originally instituted in the United States. Congress passed the Uniform Time Act in 1966 which standardized the length of Daylight Saving Time for the country.
So it was with amusement that I read about the Royal Clock Winder for Queen Elizabeth. Who knew such a position existed? It is estimated that her collection has more than 1,000 clocks. The Royal Clock Winder is paid about $50,000 a year to maintain all the clocks, watches, barometers, thermometers, and sundials in the Royal Collection.
The Royal Winder in England has to maintain and repair items belonging to members of The Royal Family and the turret clocks at the palaces including Kensington, Hampton Court, Kew, and Osborne House. The job requires a certain amount of manual handling and working at heights. The Palace has said that “In return, we offer access to an unparalleled collection of clocks and extensive training and development opportunities.”
On the weekend marking the end of Summer, the Royal Collection staff members will spend more than 50 hours adjusting clocks at all the official residences of Her Majesty. Windsor Castle has 379 timepieces, Buckingham Palace has more than 500, and the Palace of Holyroodhouse has 80 of all shapes and sizes, reflecting changing fashions over the centuries and the tastes and interests of successive monarchs. Among the collection are musical clocks, organ clocks, astronomical clocks, and mechanical clocks.
Robert Ball, Senior Horological Conservator, said “The two clock-change weekends are the busiest times of the year for us as we take on the challenge of adjusting hundreds of clocks over two days. The Royal Collection contains many fascinating and extraordinary time-pieces with highly complex mechanisms, so great care has to be taken with each one.”
Time is that stuff of which life is made. Time waits for no man. And on it goes. What time were we born? What time does the library open? What time is the fast train to downtown Chicago? Our lives run on time and border every minor and major event in life. So little time, the octogenarian says. Time is the most precious commodity. Use it wisely.
Editor’s note: In last week’s focus on research by Jo Fredell Higgins in a university library we incorrectly identified the school. It should have been at Illinois State University in Normal. The Voice regrets the error.