The vaulted ceiling above the pavement as it passes through the Tron Steeple in Glasgow. The steeple was built in the early 1600s, but the arches which let pedestrians pass underneath it weren't added until the 1850s.
#glasgow #glasgowbuildings #architecture #architecturephotography #trongate #tronsteeple
Finally, one last oddity. If you look at the numbers around the edge, the bottom ones appear to be upside down, which is a rather weird. This is probably because modern clocks evolved from sundials which you looked across to read the time rather than look at face on. This then seems to have been carried over on to mechanical clocks, even though it didn't necessarily make any sense to do so.
#glasgow #tronsteeple #oldclocks #weirdfacts #clockfacts #henryviii
While on the subject of old clocks, have you ever noticed that the Roman numerals used for the number four are IIII and not IV as you might expect. There seems to be no good explanation for this, other than the fact it looks better as it means all the first four numbers contain only Is, the second four are the only ones which contain Vs and the third four are the only ones which contain Xs.
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#glasgow #tronsteeple #oldclocks #weirdfacts #clockfacts #henryviii
Have you ever wondered why old public clocks, like this one in the 16th century Tron Steeple in Glasgow, have blue faces with gold numerals and hands? It was a tradition started by Henry the Eight in England based on a verse from the Old Testament (Exodus 39), which quickly became fashionable and spread throughout the UK.
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#glasgow #tronsteeple #oldclocks #weirdfacts #clockfacts #henryviii
For some reason, the first thing which popped into my head when I saw this shield on the vaulted ceiling under the Tron Steeple was Billy Connolly and this famous quote:
"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn't try it on."
#glasgow #billyconnolly #coatofarms #tronsteeple #trongate #glasgowbuildings
The vaulted ceiling above the pavement as it passes through the Tron Steeple in Glasgow. The steeple was built in the early 1600s, but the arches which let pedestrians pass underneath it weren't added until the 1850s. I wonder how many people pass through these arches each day without ever realising what's just above their heads.
#glasgow #glasgowbuildings #architecture #glasgowarchitecture #trongate #tronsteeple #lookupglasgow
Kinetic Sculpture of Saint Mungo below the clock on the west face of the Tron Steeple in Glasgow.
Installed in 2001 and designed by Sharmanka, the sculpture is activated when the steeple bell tolls on the hour. The fish spins, the bird pecks and Saint Mungo raises his staff. I've no idea if it still functions, but I really hope it does.
#glasgow #stmungo
#trongate #tronsteeple #sculpture #kineticsculpture
#clocktower #publicsculpture
This Is My Glasgow