The Hobart Time Ball: request for a picture

[cobba]

Hello Roger,

This image is from a photo postcard. Hope it is of use.

Cheers Kerry

[RogerKinns]

Hello Kerry,

I've not seen that postcard before, so many thanks for posting it. Do you know when the photograph was taken? The latest photograph found so far was taken in January 1924 (from identication of a Japanese warship in Hobart). The time ball was removed in February 1927.

There seem to have been two locations for the time ball mast, the later one (which is in your postcard), being nearer the waterfront. Evidence is not conclusive, but the mast was probably relocated in 1904. The very earliest photographs, dating from soon after the time ball was introduced in 1875, show a very high topmast which appears to have been reduced in height by 1886. One of the problems is that the photographs have really been of the dockside panorama, particular ships, or buildings. The resolution is stretched when we try to magnify the time ball image!

Roger

[cobba]

Hello Roger,

Sorry but I cannot help you withidentication from the back of the card.

Regards Kerry

[cobba]

Hello Roger,

This is an interesting photo of Lenna showng the waterfront and also the Timeball.

Best regards Kerry

[RogerKinns]

Hello Kerry,

Thanks for that one too. A similar (but framed) print is on display in "Lenna", now a hotel at Battery Point in Hobart, with the title "Lenna 1908 showing Signal Station mast with Black Basket at the Cross Trees position". I've included a magnification of part of it in my JAH2 paper, which will be in print in few weeks time. I think the actual date of the photograph was probably in 1904 or earlier, because the time ball mast looks to be in its early position. Does your image have a date or title?

Roger

[Ross Ewington]

..... nearly five years have elapsed since the last post on this topic and along came another photo with the time-ball
...judging by the Kodak Austral stamp box the postcard was printed in the 1920/25 period (although the negative used
may be older than that of course)

sd1301.jpg (327.29 KiB) Viewed 1655 times

P.S. Roger's article on the Hobart Time-Ball may be obtained via this link: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/full/2011JAHH...14..145K