How did 17th-century clockmakers solve the problem of checking time in total darkness?
In short: Before electricity, checking the hour at night required ingenuity. British clockmaker Edward East designed a specialized night clock to overcome the limitations of darkness, allowing users to read the time without needing to rely on daylight.
Around 1675, the lack of artificial lighting made reading a standard clock during the night nearly impossible. Edward East addressed this by creating the night clock, which featured illuminated dials designed to be visible in low-light conditions.
The device required an oil lamp to illuminate its numbers, presenting a unique challenge: the clock was housed in a wooden case, necessitating careful management of the light source to avoid fire hazards while ensuring the time remained legible.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How to tell the time in the dark... in the 17th century | The Night Clock | Curator's Corner S2 Ep6
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