Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.14303

    A new level and hail

    Date
    28 March 1667
    Creator
    Unknown, Artist
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Manuscript page number
    p184
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 363mm
    width (page): 233mm
    Subject
    Content object
    Description
    Christopher Wren's design of a 'new levell', which was reported to the meeting of the Royal Society on 14 March 1667.

    Three shapes of hail. The hail fell at 4 pm on 26 March (according to this paper, and 27 according to the minutes). This is probably the original drawing produced at the meeting on 28 March 1667. Wren described the hail as a 'perfect cone' (see the left two figures), and the underside (the figure on the right) as the shape of a 'marigold flower'.

    These drawings are copied from ones in Cl.P/2/1/001 and Cl.P/4i/16/001. These drawings are copied in RBC/2/313.
    Transcription
    De Motu et Quiete
    Transcribed by the Making Visible project
    Object history
    At the meeting of the Royal Society on 14 March 1667, ‘Dr. Wren’s description of a new level for taking the horizon every way in a circle was read, and ordered to be registered’ (Birch 2:157).

    On 28 March 1667, ‘Dr. Wren produced drawings of the figures of hail, which had fallen March 27, 1667, at four in the afternoon, the upper part of which was a perfect cone, the under part the frustrum of a cone. Being turned up, it presented a marigold flower. The angle, he said, was the angle of a pentagon; so that five of them joined together made a circle. These drawings were ordered to be registered’ (Birch 2:162).
    Related fellows
    Christopher Wren (1632 - 1723, British) , Architect
    Associated place
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