Bulletin Horaire

Bureau International de l'Heure

Other web pages about Bulletin Horaire

Bulletin Horaire was the regular publication in which the Bureau International de l'Heure (BIH) presented the results of their work intercomparing time services around the world. Initially the circulars of Bulletin Horaire were published every other month in a sequence of Tomes (Volumes). The dates on the title page of the circulars were the day they were submitted for typesetting. The content of each circular was as much of the data as had been possible to gather and reduce as of its bi-monthly date. This initial sequence of tomes (volumes) was numbered 1 through 7, and those covered the years from 1921 through 1941. For circulars of Bulletin Horaire during this initial period of the tomes (volumes) the date ranges of the tables of data are always some months behind the date on the title page.

issue date synopsis
Tome (Volume) 1 (1921/1924)
scans at ADS
v1n000p001 Avertissement
v1n001p003 1922-01-15
v1n002p013 1922-02-15
v1n003p021 1922-03-31
v1n004p037 1922-07-20
v1n005p061 1922-12-20
v1n006p085 1923-02-23
v1n007p105 1923-05-10
v1n008p127 1923-06-15
v1n009p139 1923-07-27
v1n010p167 1923-10-20
v1n011p197 1923-12-26
v1n012p217 1924-02-16
v1n013p241 1924-05-15
v1n014p285 1924-07-01
v1n015p313 1924-10-10
v1n016p329 1924-12-10
v1n017p367 1925-01-21
v1n018p387 1925-02-25

Tome (Volume) 2 (1925/1927)
scans at ADS
v2n019p001 1925-06-15
v2n020p047 1925-08-05
v2n021p063 1925-10-25
v2n022p075 1925-12-25
v2n023p099 1926-01-08
v2n024p123 1926-01-08
v2n025p147 1926-04-10
v2n026p171 1926-06-10
v2n027p195 1926-07-25
v2n028p219 1926-08-20
v2n029p235 1926-10-10
v2n030p251 1926-12-10
v2n031p275 1927-01-08
v2n032p299 1927-02-20
v2n033p331 1927-04-15
v2n034/35p363 1927-07-10

Tome (Volume) 3 (1928/1929)
scans at ADS
v3n036p001 1927-09-12
v3n037p017 1927-10-25
v3n038p033 1928-01-10
v3n039p055 1928-02-15
v3n040p079 1928-03-20
v3n041p111 1928-05-20
v3n042p143 1928-06-30
v3n043p167 1928-09-05
v3n044p207 1928-11-01
v3n045p223 1929-01-10
v3n046p255 1929-02-10
v3n047p303 1929-04-15

Tome (Volume) 4 (1929/1932)
scans at ADS
v4n048p001 1929-04-10
v4n049p021 1929-06-10
v4n050p041 1929-08-10
v4n051p067 1929-10-10
v4n052p085 1929-12-10
v4n053p097 1930-02-10
v4n054p119 1930-04-10
v4n055p135 1930-06-10
v4n056p151 1930-08-10
v4n057p169 1930-10-10
v4n058p185 1930-12-10
v4n059p199 1931-02-10
v4n060p221 1931-04-10
v4n061p239 1931-06-10 heure definitive for 1931
v4n062p265 1931-08-10
v4n063p277 1931-10-10
v4n064p289 1931-12-10
v4n065p311 1932-02-10
v4n066p333 1932-04-10
v4n067p349 1932-06-10
v4n068p365 1932-08-10
v4n069p379 1932-10-10
v4n070p391 1932-12-10
v4n071p419 1933-02-10

Tome (Volume) 5 (1933/1935)
scans at ADS
v5n072p001 1933-04-10
v5n073p017 1933-06-10
v5n074p037 1933-08-10
v5n075p057 1933-10-10
v5n076p071 1933-12-10
v5n077p087 1934-02-10
v5n078p107 1934-04-10
v5n079p121 1934-06-10
v5n080p137 1934-08-10
v5n081p157 1934-10-10
v5n082p173 1934-12-10
v5n083p189 1935-02-10
v5n084p217 1935-04-10
v5n085p233 1935-06-10
v5n086p253 1935-08-10
v5n087p273 1935-10-10
v5n088p297 1935-12-10
v6n089p325 1936-02-10

Tome (Volume) 6 (1936/1938)
scans at ADS
v6n090p001 1936-04-10
v6n091p025 1936-06-10
v6n092p047 1936-08-10
v6n093p071 1936-10-10
v6n094p091 1936-12-10
v6n095p117 1937-02-10
v6n096p141 1937-04-10
v6n097p155 1937-06-10
v6n098p169 1937-08-10
v6n099p187 1937-10-10
v6n100p207 1937-12-10
v6n101p221 1938-02-10
v6n102p243 1938-04-10
v6n103p257 1938-06-10
v6n104p273 1938-08-10
v6n105p289 1938-10-10
v6n106p311 1938-12-10
v6n107p343 1939-02-10

Tome (Volume) 7 (1939/1941)
scans at ADS
v7n108p001 1939-04-10
v7n109p021 1939-06-10
v7n110p045 1939-08-10
v7n111p067 1939-10-10
v7n112p089 1939-12-10
v7n113p109 1940-02-10
v7n114p141 1940-04-10
v7n115p161 1940-06-10
v7n116/117p187 1940-08/1940-10
v7n118/119p219 1940-12/1941-02
v7n120/121p243 1941-04/1941-06
v7n122/123p259 1941-08/1941-10
v7n124/125p275 1941-12/1942-02

The BIH was located at Observatoire de Paris, and the events of World War 2 drastically altered the operations of BIH. Foreign postal service did not happen during the German occupation of Paris from 1940-06-14 to 1944-08-25. Nevertheless, the staff of the BIH maintained all of their local scientific activity despite the conditions in Paris. The calculation of Heure demi-définitive depended only on activity at Observatoire de Paris, and that activity continued without interruption. The calculation of Heure définitive required postal service from distant observatories to report their receptions of radio broadcast time signals. Thus it was not possible to determine values of Heure définitive during the war.

During the war the BIH produced a series of circulars containing tables of the clocks at Observatoire de Paris and the values of Heure demi-définitive determined from the reception of radio broadcast time signals. As with the earlier tomes (volumes) these circulars gave the dates they were prepared for typesetting, but the tables within them were for previous months. To the ongoing dismay of librarians trying to catalog Bulletin Horaire, and moreso to the dismay of readers hoping to make sense of the history of timekeeping in the 20th century, these wartime circulars were not individually numbered. Moreover, this wartime sequence of circulars gave no indication regarding a tome (volume) number for the collection of them all. This unnumbered series of circulars contained the tables of local clocks and Heure demi-définitive for the years 1942 through 1944. For reasons described in this document I deem that it makes sense to say that this unnumbered series of wartime circulars of Bulletin Horaire with Heure demi-définitive should be recognized as and called by the name "Series 1".

issue date synopsis

Series 1 (1942/1944)
These wartime circulars were not numbered and did not indicate a volume or series, but for reasons explained above they should be deemed as "Series 1".
Starting with these circulars the numbered series contain the tables of Heure demi-définitive, BIH Annual Reports, and notices of changes.
scans at ADS are inscrutably indexed as if they were Volume 8
s1n01p01 1942-04/1942-06
s1n02p01 1942-08/1942-10
s1n03p01 1942-12/1943-02
s1n04p01 1943-04/1943-06
s1n05p01 1943-08/1943-10
s1n06p01 1943-12/1944-02
s1n07p01 1944-04/1944-06
s1n08p01 1944-08/1944-10
s1n09p01 1944-12/1945-02

Subsequent to the war the BIH continued to publish circulars containing tables of Heure demi-définitive separate from circulars with Heure définitive. This separation of the tables of data allowed for the Heure demi-définitive to be published promptly because there was no need to wait for other observatories to send their reports of receptions of radio broadcast time signals. These prompt publications also included articles with news and changes in procedures that were important to distribute promptly to the other observatories participating in world-wide time services.

The BIH did give names to the post-war collections of Bulletin Horaire circulars by calling them "Series". The immediate post-war collection of issues with tables of clocks at Observatoire de Paris and Heure demi-définitive was called series 2, and it covered years 1945 through 1950. Again unfortunately for librarians and researchers, the BIH did not give numbers to the individual circulars of Series 2.

issue date synopsis

Series 2 (1945/1950)
These postwar circulars were not numbered, but I have given them numbers.
This numbered series continues the tables of Heure demi-définitive, BIH Annual Reports, and notices of changes.
scans at ADS are inscrutably indexed as if they were Volume 9
s2n01p01 1945-01/1945-04
s2n02p01 1945-05/1945-08
s2n03p01 1945-09/1945-12
s2n04p01 1946-01/1946-04
s2n05p01 1946-05/1946-08
s2n06p01 1946-09/1946-12
s2n07p01 1947-01/1947-04
s2n08p01 1947-05/1947-12
s2n09p01 1948-01/1948-06
s2n10p43 1948-07/1948-12
s2n11p01 1949-01/1949-06
s2n12p31 1949-07/1949-12
s2n13p01 1950-01/1950-06
s2n14p35 1950-07/1950-12

After the war many of the other observatories were eventually able to send their observations of radio broadcast time signals to BIH. As the data became complete for various time periods the BIH proceeded to compute Heure définitive. These tables of Heure définitive were published in circulars of Bulletin Horaire issued as "Series D". Series D contained Heure définitive for the years 1942 through 1950. The circulars in Series D also contained annual summaries comparing the performance of all of the participating time services. Unfortunately, the circulars of Series D were issued in a non-sequential fashion as the data for each interval became available and was eventually reduced. As a result, very few libraries have intact collections of the Bulletin Horaire circulars belonging to Series D.

issue date synopsis

Series D (1940/1950)
This lettered series resumes the tables of Heure définitive and annual comparisons of time services at participating observatories.
I have not found a library which can supply Series D.
sDn??p??? 1940-03/1940-07 published during 1948
sDn??p??? 1940-08/1940-12 published during 1948
sDn??p??? 1941-01/1941-06 published during 1948
sDn??p??? 1941-07/1941-12 published during 1948
sDn??p??? 1942-01/1942-06 published during 1949
sDn??p??? 1942-07/1942-12 published during 1949
sDn??p??? 1943-01/1943-06 published during 1950
sDn??p??? 1943-07/1943-12 published during 1950
sDn??p??? 1944-01/1944-06 published during 1950
sDn??p??? 1944-07/1944-12 published during 1951
sDn??p??? 1945-01/1945-06 published during 1951
sDn??p??? 1945-07/1945-12 published during 1951
sDn??p??? 1946-01/1946-06 published during 1947
sDn??p??? 1946-07/1946-12 published during 1947
sDn??p??? 1947-01/1947-06 published during 1948
sDn??p??? 1947-07/1947-12 published during 1948
sDn??p??? 1948-01/1948-06 published during 1950
sDn??p??? 1948-07/1948-12 published during 1950
sDn??p??? 1949-01/1949-06 published during 1951
sDn??p??? 1949-07/1949-12 published during 1951
sDn??p??? 1950-01/1950-04 published during 1952
sDn??p??? 1950-05/1950-08 published during 1952
sDn??p??? 1950-09/1951-12 published during 1952

The pattern of numbered collections of circulars continued in subsequent publications of Bulletin Horaire. The circulars with tables of Heure demi-définitive were issued in Series 3, 4, 5, and 6 through the year 1964, and these were individually numbered. In addition to the tables of Heure demi-définitive and other timely articles these circulars also contained the Annual Reports of the BIH.

The pattern of lettered collections of circulars continued in subsequent publications of Bulletin Horaire. The circulars with tables of Heure définitive were issued in Series E, F, G, and H through the year 1963. The circulars with Heure définitive in the lettered series generally appeared about 8 months later than the corresponding circulars with Heure demi-définitive in the numbered series.

issue date synopsis

Series 3 (1951/1954)
This numbered series continues the tables of Heure demi-définitive, BIH Annual Reports, and notices of changes.
s3n01p001 1951-01/1951-04
s3n02p029 1951-05/1951-08
s3n03p067 1951-09/1951-12
s3n04p107 1952-01/1952-04
s3n05p137 1952-05/1952-08
s3n06p165 1952-09/1952-12
s3n07p205 1953-01/1953-04
s3n08p237 1953-05/1953-08
s3n09p295 1953-09/1953-12
s3n10p337 1954-01/1954-04
s3n11p369 1954-05/1954-08
s3n12ap399 1954-09/1954-10
s3n12bp415 1954-11/1954-12
issue date synopsis

Series E (1951/1954)
This lettered series continues the tables of Heure définitive and annual comparisons of time services at participating observatories.
sEn01p001 1951-01/1951-04
sEn02p043 1951-05/1951-09
sEn03p085 1951-09/1951-12
sEn04p131 1952-01/1952-04
sEn05p177 1952-05/1952-08
sEn06p225 1952-09/1952-12
sEn07p277 1953-01/1953-04
sEn08p331 1953-05/1953-08
sEn09p381 1953-09/1953-12
sEn10ap441 1954-01/1954-02
sEn10bp475 1954-03/1954-04
sEn11ap507 1954-05/1954-06
sEn11bp537 1954-07/1954-08
sEn12ap569 1954-09/1954-10
sEn12bp601 1954-11/1954-12
issue date synopsis

Series 4 (1955/1958)
This numbered series continues the tables of Heure demi-définitive, BIH Annual Reports, and notices of changes.
s4n01p001 1955-01/1955-02
s4n02p019 1955-03/1955-04
s4n03p037 1955-05/1955-16
s4n04p077 1955-07/1955-08
s4n05p097 1955-09/1955-10
s4n06p123 1955-11/1955-12
s4n07p151 1956-01/1956-02
s4n08p171 1956-03/1956-04
s4n09p187 1956-05/1956-06
s4n10p203 1956-07/1956-08
s4n11p223 1956-09/1956-10
s4n12p239 1956-11/1956-12
s4n13p267 1957-01/1957-02
s4n14p287 1957-03/1957-04
s4n15p303 1957-05/1957-06
s4n16p319 1957-07/1957-08
s4n17p339 1957-09/1957-10
s4n18p357 1957-11/1957-12
s4n19p387 1958-01/1958-02
s4n20p409 1958-03/1958-04
s4n21p437 1958-05/1958-06
s4n22p461 1958-07/1958-08
s4n23p483 1958-09/1958-10
s4n24p513 1958-11/1958-12
issue date synopsis

Series F (1955/1958)
This lettered series continues the tables of Heure définitive and annual comparisons of time services at participating observatories.
sFn01p001 1955-01/1955-02
sFn02p035 1955-03/1955-04
sFn03p063 1955-05/1955-06
sFn04p091 1955-07/1955-08
sFn05p119 1955-09/1955-10
sFn06p145 1955-11/1955-12
sFn07p177 1956-01/1956-02
sFn08p205 1956-03/1955-04
sFn09p001 1956-05/1956-06
sFn10p231 1956-07/1956-08
sFn11p277 1956-09/1956-10
sFn12p299 1956-11/1956-12
sFn13p327 1957-01/1957-02
sFn14p353 1957-03/1957-04
sFn15p379 1957-05/1957-06
sFn16p403 1957-07/1957-08
sFn17p433 1957-09/1957-10
sFn18p465 1957-11/1957-12
sFn19p501 1958-01/1958-02
sFn20p535 1958-03/1958-04
sFn21p567 1958-05/1958-06
sFn22p599 1958-07/1958-08
sFn23p631 1958-09/1958-10
sFn24p665 1958-11/1958-12
issue date synopsis

Series 5 (1959/1962)
This numbered series continues the tables of Heure demi-définitive, BIH Annual Reports, and notices of changes.
s5n01p001 1959-01/1959-02
s5n02p033 1959-03/1959-04
s5n03p059 1959-05/1959-06
s5n04p083 1959-07/1959-08
s5n05p105 1959-09/1959-10
s5n06p129 1959-11/1959-12
s5n07p163 1960-01/1960-02
s5n08p183 1960-03/1960-04
s5n09p201 1960-05/1960-06
s5n10p221 1960-07/1960-08
s5n11p237 1960-09/1960-10
s5n12p257 1960-11/1960-12
s5n13p287 1961-01/1961-02
s5n14p287 1961-03/1961-04
s5n15p313 1961-05/1961-06
s5n16p361 1961-07/1961-08
s5n17p387 1961-09/1961-10
s5n18p411 1961-11/1961-12
s5n19p445 1962-01/1962-02
s5n20p475 1962-03/1962-04
s5n21p503 1962-05/1962-06
s5n22p529 1962-07/1962-08
s5n23p555 1962-09/1962-10
s5n24p587 1962-11/1962-12
issue date synopsis

Series G (1959/1962)
This lettered series continues the tables of Heure définitive and annual comparisons of time services at participating observatories.
sGn01p001 1959-01/1959-02
sGn02p043 1959-03/1959-04
sGn03p075 1959-05/1959-06
sGn04p107 1959-07/1959-08
sGn05p137 1959-09/1959-10
sGn06p169 1959-11/1959-12
sGn07p207 1960-01/1960-02
sGn08p241 1960-03/1959-04
sGn09p275 1960-05/1960-06
sGn10p301 1960-07/1960-08
sGn11p327 1960-09/1960-10
sGn12p357 1960-11/1960-12
sGn13p389 1961-01/1961-02
sGn14p429 1961-03/1961-04
sGn15p465 1961-05/1961-06
sGn16p501 1961-07/1961-08
sGn17p537 1961-09/1961-10
sGn18p575 1961-11/1961-12
sGn19p617 1962-01/1962-02
sGn20p653 1962-03/1962-04
sGn21p687 1962-05/1962-06
sGn22p719 1962-07/1962-08
sGn23p751 1962-09/1962-10
sGn24p785 1962-11/1962-12
issue date synopsis

Series 6 (1963/1964)
This numbered series continues the tables of Heure demi-définitive, BIH Annual Reports, and notices of changes.
Series 6 contains the last tables of Heure demi-définitive prepared by Nicolas Stoyko before his retirement.
s6n01p001 1963-01/1963-02
s6n02p031 1963-03/1963-04
s6n03p057 1963-05/1963-06
s6n04p087 1963-07/1963-08
s6n05p119 1963-09/1963-10
s6n06p149 1963-11/1963-12
s6n07p183 1964-01/1964-02
s6n08p207 1964-03/1964-04
s6n09p227 1964-05/1964-06 final issue by Nicolas Stoyko
s6n10p249 1964-07/1964-08 initial issue by Bernard Guinot
issue date synopsis

Series H (1963)
This lettered series continues the tables of Heure définitive and annual comparisons of time services at participating observatories.
Series H contains the last tables of Heure définitive prepared by Anna Stoyko before her retirement.
sHn01p001 1963-01/1963-02
sHn02p041 1963-03/1963-04
sHn03p073 1963-05/1963-06
sHn04p107 1963-07/1963-08
sHn05p139 1963-09/1963-10
sHn06p173 1963-11/1963-12 final issue by Anna Stoyko

Nicolas Stoyko had worked at BIH since 1924, and he was in charge of BIH in the early 1960s. His wife Anna Stoyko had worked at BIH since 1947. They both retired in 1965 March just after the BIH had defined coordinated Universal Time as a function of the atomic time scale being maintained at BIH. The next series of issues of Bulletin Horaire completely changed its format and was called "Series J" Initially the circulars of Bulletin Horare in Series J continued providing both Heure demi-définitive and Heure définitive as had been done since the era of pendulum clocks and time signals transmitted over radio along with Morse code. Soon Series J changed its format to provide tables of time service comparisons consistent with space-age telecommunications and atomic chronometers.

issue date synopsis

Series J (1964/1966)
Series J is the first sequence of circulars entirely under the purview of Bernard Guinot.
sJn01p01 1964-01/1964-02 Hd first use of the term UTC
sJn01p01r 1964-09/1964-10 Hdd
sJn02p01 1964-03/1964-04 Hd
sJn02p01r 1964-11/1964-12 Hdd
sJn03p01 1964-05/1964-06 Hd
sJn03p01r 1965-01/1965-02 Hdd
sJn04p01 1964-07/1964-08 Hd
sJn04p01r 1965-03/1965-04 Hdd
sJn05p01 1964-09/1964-10 Hd
sJn05p01r 1965-05/1965-06 Hdd
sJn06p01 1964-11/1964-12 Hd
sJn06p01r 1965-07/1965-08 Hdd
sJn07p01 1965-01/1965-02 Hd
sJn07p01r 1965-09/1965-10 Hdd
sJn08p01 1965-03/1965-04 Hd
sJn08p01r 1965-11/1965-12 Hdd
sJn09p01 1965-05/1965-06 Hd
sJn09p01r 1966-01/1966-02 Hdd
sJn10p01 1965-07/1965-08 Hd
sJn10p01r 1966-03/1966-04 Hdd
sJn11p01 1965-09/1965-10 Hd
sJn11p01r 1966-05/1966-06 Hdd
sJn12p01 1965-11/1965-12 Hd
sJn12p01r 1966-07/1966-08 Hdd
sJn13p01 1966-01/1966-02 Hd
sJn14p01 1966-03/1966-04 Hd
sJn15p01 1966-05/1966-06 Hd
sJn16p01 1966-07/1966-08 Hd
sJn17p01 1966-09/1966-10 Hd
sJn18p01 1966-11/1966-12 Hd

BIH Bulletin Horaire ended with series J.
After that BIH produced the monthly Circular D with rapid results and BIH Annual Report with full review of the data. These continued through 1987 until the BIH was dismantled with its earth rotation aspects going into the new IERS and its precision timekeeping aspects going to the BIPM.



Steve Allen <sla@ucolick.org>
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