Marine watches maybe you thing or perhaps its barometers, but John Harrison’s perfectly accurate clocks, which turn out to be the standard issue marine chronometer, are a sight to behold. Fortunately there’s still time to celebrate the great man’s work as none of it has become ancienthistory through the introduction of modern technology, thankfully.
The exhibition will proudly mark the 300th anniversary of the Longitude Act, passed way before you and me in 1714, which established the Longitude Board and offered a massive £20,000 prize to anyone who was able to solve the problem of measuring longitude at sea. It contains the actual act of parliament, which passed in the final weeks before the death of Queen Anne, and this will be on display exclusively for the first time.
The story of the great John Harrison, a carpenter and self-taught mastermind clockmaker who created a series of ever more accurate clocks.
You can enjoy all of the Harrison clocks while they indulge in a stay away from their home in the Observatory. This will be the first time in decades that they have vacated their permanent location. Rest assured that each one is ticking away handsomely in the exhibition, being individually hand-wound by an exclusive number of staff.
The exhibition brings together books, paintings, scientific instruments, and absorbing letters from luminaries including Sir Isaac Newton.
Not to be missed!
