Henrik Kyhl

Henrik Larsen Kyhl (8 August 1793 – 12 February 1866) was a Danish clockmaker, politician and the second managing director of Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen.

Early life and education

Kyhl was born on 8 August 1793 in Søsum at Ølstykke, the son of wheelmaker Lars Henrik Hansen (c. 1764 – 1812) and Maren Jensdatter (c. 1773 – 1841). He apprenticed as a clockmaker in Copenhagen.[1]

Career as clockmaker

In 1818, Kyhl opened his own workshop which specialized in tower clocks. Over the years, he presented a number of inventions and improvements in the Magazin for Kunstnere og Haandværkere., including a kileindgribningssystem. Kyhl was alderman of the Clockmakers' Guild in Copenhagen from 1832 to 1838. A tower clock presented on the Great Exhibition in London in 1851 attracted considerable attention. It was later installed in the Methodist St. Paul's Church in Rigensgade in Copenhagen.

In 1827, Kyhl constructed a reflector lamp which was used as street lights in Copenhagen from 1828 and until gas lights were introduced in 1857.

Other occupations

In 1835, he was a co-founder of Industriforeningen. He was also one of the most active members of its board of representatives. In 1843, he was a co-founder of the Scandinavian Society. He was the same year elected for the Committee for Copenhagen (valgbestyrelsen for København).[1]

Kyhl was from the foundation of the amusement park also a board member of Tivoli Gardens. He was often in opposition to Georg Carstensen, whom he succeeded as managing director of the park until 1857.

Politics

In 1837–59, Kyhl was a member of Copenhagen City Council. In 1841, he unsuccessfully proposed to surface streets in Copenhagen with asphalt. In 1935, he was a co-founder of the Society for the Freedom of the Press (Selskabet til trykkefrihedens rette brug). In 1844 and again in 1846, he was an alternate member of Roskilde Constituent Assembly (Stænderforsamling), where he argued in favour of a free constitution.[1]

Selected tower clocks
Kyhl's tower clock in Church of Our Lady, Nyborg

Kyhl has created tower clocks for the following buildings:[2]

See also

References
  1. "Henrik Kyhl" (in Danish). Dansk Biografisk Leksikon. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  2. "Henrik Kyhl" (in Danish). taarnurmageren.dk. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  3. "T¨rnuret" (in Danish). Kong Frederik d. VIIs Stiftelse. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
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