Two-handed timekeeper

Two-handed timekeeper (left & right) | 2021 | Three minutes of digital video x 2

“The railway time is shown by a silvered minute hand, 

the minute hand denoting the true time being gilt.”* 

During the mid-19th century, with the coming of the railways, many of Exeter’s public clocks had two minute-hands, one showing Railway Time (or GMT), the other Local Time, which was approximately 14 minutes behind by the sun.

Two-handed timekeeper is derived from a recording of shadows moving across a playing field in Exeter on 14 July 2021. The footage has been split, superimposed and speeded up to make visible the solar time difference between Letchworth and Exeter. 

This work arose from shared research and experiments made with Savinder Bual during the Correspondence01 project. It reflects on human-made rules and scales of measurement versus the independent movement of celestial objects.

Two versions of the video will be shown simultaneously: one at Exeter Phoenix, the other at Broadway Gallery Letchworth.  The video still above combines both versions into one image.

Left: Two-handed timekeeper  ̶  Exeter and Letchworth (Longitude -3.542433 and -0.22703)

Right: Two-handed timekeeper  ̶  Letchworth and Exeter (Longitude -0.22703 and -3.542433)

Correspondence01, curated by Kristian Day and Matt Burrows

17th August - 5th September 2021

Broadway Gallery,  2 The Arcade, Letchworth Garden City SG6 3EW

Exeter Phoenix, Gandy Street EX4 3LS

*The clock at St John’s Church, Fore Street, Exeter, as described by the Exeter Flying Post in 1845. Source: Clive N Ponsford Time In Exeter (1978)