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The "Royal Clock" is located on the upper level of the southern half of the
Sharp
(an artist and sculptor who specialised in equestrian subjects), spent over three years creating the figures which would bring them to life. Each figure was sculpted in clay, before being cast in resin and then hand painted in acrylics and metallic paints by Marcus Replicas' own team of painters. Once complete, the figures were assembled into their respective historical tableaux and Elizabeth painted a background scene for each one, intended to evoke a sense of the relevant period. Each completed scene was then sent to Thwaites and Reed to be mechanised and assembled into the clock itself.
The "Royal Clock" is located on the upper level of the southern half of the Queen Victoria Building
The Queen Victoria Building (abbreviated as the QVB) is a heritage-listed late-nineteenth-century building designed by the architect George McRae located at 429–481 George Street in the Sydney central business district, in the Australian st ...
in Sydney, Australia. It was designed by Neil Glasser and made by Thwaites & Reed
Thwaites & Reed has been in continuous manufacture since its foundation and claims to be the oldest clock manufacturing company in the world. Geoffrey Buggins MBE, the last of the original family clockmakers, saw drawings of Thwaites clocks datin ...
of Hastings in England, and when activated, displays scenes of English royalty. The plaque on the side of the clock reads "By appointment to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Turret Clockmakers Thwaites & Reed Ltd Hastings England".
Performance
The clock activates on the hour from 9 am until 9 pm. Each performance begins with the music of the trumpet voluntary as miniature trumpeters emerge from the tops of each of the clock's four outer turrets. The trumpeters withdraw at the end of the voluntary. The six scenes are viewed (one at a time) through windows on both sides of the clock that face the railed walkways. Each scene briefly illuminates to display adiorama
A diorama is a replica of a scene, typically a three-dimensional full-size or miniature model, sometimes enclosed in a glass showcase for a museum. Dioramas are often built by hobbyists as part of related hobbies such as military vehicle mode ...
of English royal history, before dimming and rotating to the left in preparation for the next scene. Most of the scenes include mechanical animation. One of these for example, depicts the execution of King Charles I.
Music
The Royal Clock's performance is accompanied by music written by Jeremiah Clarke called '' The Prince of Denmark's March'' (commonly known as the ''Trumpet Voluntary'').Scenes
The six scenes (in chronological order) depict: *King Cnut commanding the tide to halt. *King Harold dying on the field at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. *King John signing theMagna Carta
(Medieval Latin for "Great Charter of Freedoms"), commonly called (also ''Magna Charta''; "Great Charter"), is a royal charter of rights agreed to by King John of England at Runnymede, near Windsor, on 15 June 1215. First drafted by the ...
in 1215. Also present in the scene is Stephen Cardinal Langton.
*Henry VIII
Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...
and his six wives.
*Queen Elizabeth I knighting Sir Francis Drake aboard the Golden Hind in 1588 (an apocryphal scene as the ceremony was performed by the ambassador from France—in the Queen's presence).
*The execution of King Charles I in 1649.
*Atop the clock there are Four Heralds who appear to announce the start of the performance
*Each of the mechanised 3D scenes in the clock was created Marcus Replicas, Leicestershire, a firm which specialised in making lifelike figures and three dimensional scenes from history. Dennis Morton (co-owner of and chief designer for the firm) created the design for each scene, after which both he and ElizabetSharp
(an artist and sculptor who specialised in equestrian subjects), spent over three years creating the figures which would bring them to life. Each figure was sculpted in clay, before being cast in resin and then hand painted in acrylics and metallic paints by Marcus Replicas' own team of painters. Once complete, the figures were assembled into their respective historical tableaux and Elizabeth painted a background scene for each one, intended to evoke a sense of the relevant period. Each completed scene was then sent to Thwaites and Reed to be mechanised and assembled into the clock itself.
See also
*Hornsby Water Clock
The Hornsby Water Clock, titled ''Man, Time and the Environment'' is a piece of kinetic art, kinetic sculpture, a decorative fountain and a functional clock in the Florence Street pedestrian mall in Hornsby, New South Wales, Hornsby, New South Wal ...
*Nylex Clock
The Nylex Clock is heritage listed as an iconic feature of Melbourne and is considered part of the popular culture of the city. It is neon sign sitting atop malting storage silos in the suburb of Cremorne, Victoria, Australia. It is located a ...
References
External links
* *http://www.stantongraphics.co.uk/ - site showcasing the art of Elizabeth Sharp {{coord, -33.872041, 151.206713, type:landmark_region:AU, display=title Clocks in Australia Individual clocks Dioramas Buildings and structures in Sydney Tourist attractions in Sydney