What is the NASS Repository?

The North American Sundial Society makes available a treasure trove of dialing material on a single DVD ! To purchase The NASS Repository and other NASS publications, see the NASS Publications Order Form or go to the bottom of this page

So what does the NASS Repository contain??

Compendium Back Issues - All 108 issues from the first 27 years of the NASS journal are presented in PDF format, with known errors corrected and hyperlinks both within and across the issues.

Sundial Registry - A link to the ever-expanding online registry of sundials (over 1000) in North America, including locations, brief descriptions and many photos. Also a link to the Registry Sundial map.

Aked/Severino Gnomonics Bibliography - This is an important listing of over 10,000 works on dialing and is probably the largest such compilation ever assembled. (copyright Charles Aked / Nicola Severino)

The British Sundial Society Sundial Glossary - This glossary of more than 500 terms relating to sundials includes definitions, cross-links, equations and the beginnings of a chronology. Over 50 of the main entries have been linked to more detailed articles available elsewhere on the DVD, thus providing the option to choose between a brief definition and a detailed account. (copyright BSS/John Davis)

Cyclopædic Diallist - The comprehensive treatise on dialing by Henry Meikle which appeared in the Eighth Edition (1852-1860) of the Encyclopædia Britannica. The work is augmented by excerpts from the work of Hugh Godfray in the Ninth Edition (1875-1879), and further augmented by extracts from a lecture (1770) by James Ferguson. This compilation is presented here for the first time with annotation, modern mathematical formulation and additional material by Fred Sawyer.

Sciatheric Notes - I - A collection of Fred Sawyer's articles that appeared in the Bulletin of The British Sundial Society in the years 1991 to 1997. The book contains a brief introduction and review of the articles by Fred and a foreword by Charles K. Aked. Charles observes: "These articles are of real importance in the published work on dialing and essential reading for all who wish a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of dialing.... It is an honor to prepare a Foreword to this jewel of a collection of articles."

Dialling Universal by George Serle - A NASS edition of this 1657 book - the first to introduce a comprehensive set of dialing scales on a ruler. The booklet was edited and annotated by Fred Sawyer, and it introduces what James Ferguson called "the easiest of all mechanical methods, and by much the best." The book itself serves both as an instruction manual and as a discussion on the theory of dialing scales.

Dialing Software - The digital bonuses that NASS has distributed with The Compendium, as well as some new material. Some of the more significant programs include Zonwvlak (with a manual, full discussion of equations, and a beta copy of the new Windows Zonwvlak 2000), The Dialist's Companion (DOS-based), Ferrari's Sund98p, Blateyron's freeware program Shadows, the latst version of Sonderegger's Sonne, and Casalegno’s Orologi Solari.

Selected Patents - The full text and images of over 100 sundial-related patents issued in the U.S. since 1952.

Search Facility - There are several ways to navigate around the DVD, including hyperlinks, bookmarks, and a search facility that finds every occurrence of any word or phrase anywhere on the DVD.

And Much More!

Don't miss out on this unique and useful collection of dialing information on DVD for only $30 USD, including shipping.

Make checks payable to NASS and send to Fred Sawyer, 27 Ninas Way, Manchester CT 06040, USA. All payments must be in US funds (checks drawn on a US bank). Alternatively, you can send credit card payment via PayPal to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. – just be sure to include a note explaining that the payment is for the Repository DVD.

Whether by check or PayPal, please provide name, address, city, state/province, country, postal code, and email.