Big Ben : the great clock and the bells at the Palace of Westminster / Chris McKay.

By: Material type: TextTextPublisher: Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2010Edition: [First edition]Description: xiv, 279 pages, 6 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color) ; 26 cmContent type:
  • text
  • still image
Media type:
  • unmediated
Carrier type:
  • volume
ISBN:
  • 9780199585694
  • 0199585695
Subject(s): Genre/Form:
Contents:
1. `Big Ben' -- a brief history -- 2. Visit to the Clock Tower -- 3. Palace of Westminster to 1834 -- 4. Great Fire of 1834 -- 5. New Palace: 1835 Onwards -- 6. Plans, Specifications, and Tenders for the Great Clock: 1844 to1852 -- 7. Great Clock is Built: 1852 to 1854 -- 8. Bells: 1856 to 1858 -- 9. Dials -- 10. Development of the Gravity Escapement -- 11. Great Clock is Installed and Set Going -- 12. Big Ben Cracks: 1859 to 1863 -- 13. Clock Ticks on: 1863 to 1900 -- 14. Through Two World Wars: 1900 to 2000 -- 15. Disaster of 1976 -- 16. Restoration of 2007 -- 17. Great Clock -- A Complete Description -- 18. Iconic Big Ben -- 19. 150th Anniversary Celebrations -- 20. Conclusion.
Summary: `Big Ben', the great clock and bells at Westminster, is one of the most iconic landmarks in Britain. From the origins of Westminster as the seat of government right up to the celebrations of the Great Clock's 150th anniversary in 2009, this book tells the story of the clock, bells, and tower.Summary: The reader is first taken step-by-step through a typical visit to the Clock Tower, and then the history of the Palace of Westminster is told, covering the fire of 1834, the building of the new Houses of Parliament and the development of the clock and the bells, going into fascinating detail on their design and installation. The book covers the famous cracking of the current bell, Big Ben, in 1859, with sketches of all the characters involved, the two World Wars, and the disaster of 1976. The book ends with a detailed technical description of the clock mechanism.Summary: The book is richly illustrated, and will appeal not only to clockmakers and horologists, but to bell enthusiasts, and those with an interest in our rich Victorian heritage. --Book Jacket.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number Status Date due Barcode
Books Books Jost Bürgi Library Reading Room TS543.5.L6 M35 2010 (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Available 31560000027348

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Machine generated contents note: 1. `Big Ben' -- a brief history -- 2. Visit to the Clock Tower -- 3. Palace of Westminster to 1834 -- 4. Great Fire of 1834 -- 5. New Palace: 1835 Onwards -- 6. Plans, Specifications, and Tenders for the Great Clock: 1844 to1852 -- 7. Great Clock is Built: 1852 to 1854 -- 8. Bells: 1856 to 1858 -- 9. Dials -- 10. Development of the Gravity Escapement -- 11. Great Clock is Installed and Set Going -- 12. Big Ben Cracks: 1859 to 1863 -- 13. Clock Ticks on: 1863 to 1900 -- 14. Through Two World Wars: 1900 to 2000 -- 15. Disaster of 1976 -- 16. Restoration of 2007 -- 17. Great Clock -- A Complete Description -- 18. Iconic Big Ben -- 19. 150th Anniversary Celebrations -- 20. Conclusion.

`Big Ben', the great clock and bells at Westminster, is one of the most iconic landmarks in Britain. From the origins of Westminster as the seat of government right up to the celebrations of the Great Clock's 150th anniversary in 2009, this book tells the story of the clock, bells, and tower.

The reader is first taken step-by-step through a typical visit to the Clock Tower, and then the history of the Palace of Westminster is told, covering the fire of 1834, the building of the new Houses of Parliament and the development of the clock and the bells, going into fascinating detail on their design and installation. The book covers the famous cracking of the current bell, Big Ben, in 1859, with sketches of all the characters involved, the two World Wars, and the disaster of 1976. The book ends with a detailed technical description of the clock mechanism.

The book is richly illustrated, and will appeal not only to clockmakers and horologists, but to bell enthusiasts, and those with an interest in our rich Victorian heritage. --Book Jacket.

Very comprehensive history and technical details of Big Ben - the bell, clock and tower. Very good treatment of Dennison's gravity escapement and its variants

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