CLOCKS AROUND THE WORLD

We often think of clocks simply as instruments that tell us the time. But look closely at public clocks around the world, and they tell us something more. They tell stories.

A clock may stand above a historic town square, a railway station, a church, a marketplace, or a modern city street. Some are elaborate works of art and craftsmanship; others are remarkably simple. Each reflects something about the place in which it stands—and about the people who built it, used it, and passed it by.

Over the years, while traveling around the world, I developed an unexpected habit of photographing clocks whenever one caught my attention. I began doing it almost casually. Eventually, I realized that I had accumulated a collection that was not only about clocks, but also about the places I had visited and the memories associated with them.

One thing surprised me as the collection grew: about half the clocks are from Europe, while in the Middle East I found very few, even in countries I visited, such as Egypt and the Gulf. Perhaps that reflects culture: European towns built their lives around church bells and town-hall clock towers, while in much of the Middle East the call to prayer from the minaret has long marked the hours of the day.

This collection brings together those photographs. Some clocks are famous landmarks; others may be familiar only to the people who live nearby. Together, they form a personal journey through cities and countries around the world.

Time moves at the same pace everywhere, but the ways in which we choose to display it are remarkably diverse.

I hope you enjoy exploring these clocks—and the places and memories that surround them—as much as I have enjoyed discovering and photographing them.

— Jag Bhawan