This is the analemmatic type of sundial that lies flat on the ground and the person casts the shadow to show the time.
The coastal trading and industrial town of Kirkcaldy in Fife, Scotland, was famous up to the 1960s for its linoleum. In an earlier age, Adam Smith the 18th century economist and author of The Wealth of Nations was born in the town. Sandford Fleming was born in Kirkcaldy on 7 January 1827. He pioneered the changes to standard time and time zones for the whole world. He was knighted by Queen Victoria in 1897.
Fife Council are currently redeveloping the whole length of Kirkcaldy waterfront as part of their broad programme of town renewal. They earmarked Williamson’s Quay at the north end of the area for a public art installation, and decided to adopt this place for a commemoration of Sandford Fleming’s pioneering work on standardising time. We submitted initial proposals for a commemorative sundial and they selected our analemmatic design. It is an interactive type of sundial needing a person to cast the shadow and show the time. Sandford Fleming appears to embrace the whole world within the sundial oval and there are commemorative words.