Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume Ii Part 14

Like certain productions of James Ferguson, the Hill globes might be referred to as pocket globes.

The New York Public Library possesses a fine example of his work (Fig.

130a), bearing the t.i.tle and author legend placed in the North Pacific, "A New Terrestrial Globe by Nath. Hill 1754." This globe has a diameter of 7 cm. It is furnished with a graduated meridian circle, surmounted at the north pole with an hour circle and pointer. The graduation is somewhat unusual, beginning as it does with 0 degrees at either pole and marked by tens on the right half of the circle through 90 degrees or to the equator, and with 90 degrees at either pole and marked by tens on the left to 0 degrees at the equator. The horizon circle of wood has represented on its surface the names of the zodiacal constellations, the names of the months, and the thirty-two compa.s.s directions, and rests upon a base of four branching arms or quadrants, which in turn are supported by three widely spreading feet, this base being fas.h.i.+oned and carved in the Chippendale style. The sphere is covered with the usual twelve gores truncated in lat.i.tude both north and south at about 68 degrees and has the polar s.p.a.ces covered by circular discs. The entire piece, including the map, is remarkably well preserved. The Pacific is called "The Great South Sea," while just off the coast of "S. America"

we read "Pacific Sea." Between "N. America" and "Asia" is a great open sea, Alaska being omitted. We find such names given as "Florida,"

"Virginia," "Carolina," "Maryla": the Missouri River is called the "Long R." The meridian on which the graduation in lat.i.tude is represented is 150 degrees west, pa.s.sing through the Pacific slightly to the west of California. In "S. America" there are numerous regional names given, including "Brazil," "Peru," "Terra firma," "Chili." In the East Indies we find "New Holland," "New Zeeland," neither with completed coast line.

An attached card tells us that this globe was "Presented to the New York Public Library by Mrs. Henry Draper, Oct. 9, 1908."

There likewise may be found in the British Museum a copy, presumably of this same globe, dated 1754, and a copy in the Bibliotheque Nationale of Paris, signed and dated. This Paris copy is furnished with a cover opening along the line of the equator and having on its inner surface a representation of the celestial sphere which is neither signed nor dated, but which is in a good state of preservation.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 130a. Terrestrial Globe of Nathaniel Hill, 1754.]

Fiorini refers to certain pairs of globes being apparently copies of the work of Gian Francesco Costa without credit being noted. These globes, inferior in the matter of engraving to the work of Costa, were issued as the work of Innocente Alessandri and Pietro Scaltaglia.[176] The terrestrial globe bears the inscription, "Nova et accurata descrizione del Globo Terracqueo dirizzato sopra le piu recenti Osservazioni del Sig? Delisle e degli ultimi viaggiatori. Per uso dell' Accademia Veneta. Composto da Innocente Alessandri e Pietro Scaltaglia incisori in rame. L' anno 1784. Matteo Viani in Campo S. Bartolamio. Venezia." "New and accurate description of the Terrestrial globe based on the most recent observations of Sr. Delisle and the latest explorers. For the use of the Venetian Academy. Composed by Innocente Alessandri and Pietro Scaltaglia, copper engravers. In the year 1784. Mattio Viani in Campo S.

Bartolamio. Venice." A legend very similar to that on the terrestrial globe appears on the celestial, reading, "Globo celeste nel quale sono accuratamente descritte le stelle fisse col loro preciso numero e Magnitudini secondo il Catalogo Brittanico del Sig? Flamstadio. Per uso dell' Accademia Veneta. Composto da Innocente Alessandri e Pietro Scaltaglia incisori in Rame. L'anno 1784. Matteo Viani in Campo S.

Bartolamio. Venezia." "Celestial Globe in which is accurately described the fixed stars with their precise number and magnitude according to the British Calendar of Sr. Flamsteed. For the use of the Venetian Academy.

Composed by Innocente Alessandri and Pietro Scaltaglia copper engravers.

In the year 1784. Matteo Viani in Campo S. Bartolamio. Venice." A copy of the terrestrial globe belongs to the Biblioteca Comunale of Cagli, likewise one may be found in the office of the Eredita Bottrigari of Bologna. Copies of the celestial may be found in the Museo Astronomico of Rome, in the Seminario Vescovile of Brescia, in the Tipolitografia Roberto of Ba.s.sano. Somewhat later it appears that the bookdealer Viani reissued the terrestrial globe, undated, perhaps with the thought of bringing them to date, that they might not be crowded out of the market by the recently constructed globes by Giovanni Maria Ca.s.sini. The inscription on this globe reads, "Nova et accurata descrizione del Globo Terracqueo dirizzato sopra le piu recenti Osservazioni del Sig? dell'

Isle e degli ultimi viaggiatori e del Cap. Cook negli ultimi suoi viaggi. In Ven? appo Mattio Viani in Campo S. Bartolomeo." "New and accurate description of the Terrestrial globe based on the most recent observations of Sr. Delisle and on the records of the most recent navigators and of Captain Cook in his last voyages. In Venice by Mattio Viani in Campo S. Bartolomeo." Copies of this issue may be found in the Museo Astronomico of Rome, in the library of the artist Giuseppe Bortognoni of Bologna, in the library of Sr. Fenaroli of Brescia, in the Biblioteca Vescovile of Rimini, and in the Tipolitografia Roberto of Ba.s.sano.

Among the geographers of this period who were contributing to French leaders.h.i.+p may be named Charles Francis Delamarche (1740-1817). He was a native of Paris, in which city, under the patronage of King Louis XV, he carried on his activities as map and globe maker, conducting at the same time a shop for their distribution. He seems to have patterned his globe work largely after that of Gilles and Didier Robert de Vaugondy, giving to his completed products practically the same dimensions and mounting.

His earliest examples bear the date 1785, of which only one copy, a celestial globe, has been located, this now belonging to the Osservatorio Meteorico of Venice. In the year 1791, he constructed a pair of globes each having a diameter of about 18 cm., only the terrestrial being dated, and in the same year he issued his treatise which doubtless was intended to serve as an explanatory text for these globes, at the same time advertising and popularizing his productions.[177] Examples of this issue may be found in the Biblioteca di Brera of Milan, and in the Liceo Carlo Alberto of Novara. A copy of the terrestrial may be found in the Ist.i.tuto Nautico of Palermo, and a copy of the celestial in the Convento dei Frati della Missione of Chieri. It could not have been long after this issue of 1791 that he undertook the construction of a terrestrial globe about 31 cm. in diameter, a copy of which may be found in the Ist.i.tuto di Fisico of the University of Siena.

We know that like his contemporary, Fortin, he also constructed armillary spheres, one example of which it has been possible to locate.

Fiorini thus refers to it, his citation being given in free translation.[178] It is a Copernican sphere, that is, having a representation of the sun placed at the common center of the armillae instead of a representation of the earth as in the Ptolemaic sphere. It may be found in the palace of Sr. Scaramucci in S. Maria a Monte in the province of Florence. Attached to a base of wood about 20 cm. in height is an iron rod 35 cm. long. This rod pa.s.ses through the several rings, about which they can be revolved, each being in its movement independent of the others. The first circle about the central sun represents the orbit of Mercury, and has written upon it "eloigne du Soleil 8537, incline 7 degr., fait sa revolution en 87 jours, 23 heures, 50 m." The second represents the orbit of Venus, having written upon it the distance 15928-1/2 diameters of the earth, inclination 3 degrees and 22 minutes; it completes its revolution in 2224 days 16 hours and 41 minutes. In a s.p.a.ce much larger than that which separates the other circles, there is the orbit of the earth, upon which is written that this planet pa.s.ses over the ecliptic in 365 days 5 hours and 49 minutes, and that it is 22000 diameters distant from the sun. This ring representing the orbit of the earth is opened for the insertion of a representation of the moon, adjusted to revolve on an adjusted pivot.

Armillae have been provided representing the orbits of Mars, of Jupiter, and of Saturn with statements concerning their respective distances from the sun and their respective periods of revolution. The outer and larger armillae represent the colures, the ecliptic, and the horizon, and on the last the inscription, "a Paris chez Delamarche Geog. Rue du Foin?

Saint Jacques au College de M^re Gervais."

In the year 1793 Vincenzo Rosa, a little-known Italian cosmographer, constructed two terrestrial globes, the maps of which being in ma.n.u.script. The spheres are of papier-mache covered with a light coating of plaster. Each of these globes has a diameter of about 100 cm. An inscription in Italian reads, "Vincenzo Rosa fece nel 1793 n. 24. La geografia e quasi tutta delle carte di Robert del Vaugondy e di De-la-Marche." "Made by Vincent Rosa in the year 1793 n. 24. The geographical information is almost entirely from the maps of Robert de Vaugondy and of Delamarche." One copy may be found in the Biblioteca Universitario of Pavia, and the other in the Liceo Foscolo of the same city. Fiorini notes that the "n. 24." of the first is given as "n. 21."

in the second.[179]

The last important globe maker of the eighteenth century in Italy was Giovanni Maria Ca.s.sini (fl. 1790), an engraver, and a geographer of distinction, to the truth of which statement his excellent work gives testimony. As evidence of his interest in the matter of globe construction we have the introduction to his 'Nuovo atlante geografico universale ...,' wherein he gives carefully devised rules for the construction of globe gores, and in addition we still find a number of his completed globes, particularly in Italian museums and libraries.

These globes (Fig. 131), dated, the terrestrial 1790, and the celestial 1792, have each a diameter of about 35 cm., each covering map being composed of twelve gores cut at lat.i.tude 80 degrees both north and south, the polar s.p.a.ce having the usual circular disc covering. Each is furnished with a bra.s.s meridian circle within which the sphere may be revolved, an hour circle, a horizon circle, on the surface of which are the usual concentric circles with the names of the several zodiacal constellations, the names of the months, and the princ.i.p.al directions.

The terrestrial globe has an author and date legend reading, "Globo terrestre delineato sulle ultime osservazioni con i viaggi e nuove scoperte del Cap. Cook inglese. In Rome."

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 131. Terrestrial Globe of Giovanni Maria Ca.s.sini, 1790.]

In The Hispanic Society's collection is a terrestrial globe (Fig. 132), being a solid wooden ball 21 cm. in diameter, over which has been pasted the gore map composed of twelve sections, each cut at the parallel of 70 degrees both north and south, the polar s.p.a.ce being covered with circular discs each forty degrees in diameter. It is neither signed nor dated but is clearly of German origin, since practically all geographical names and legends are in the German language. The t.i.tle, placed within a circle to the west of Australia, "Neu Holland," reads "Die Erde nach den neusten Entdeckungen und besten Charten entworfen."

Its date cannot be far from 1800, perhaps a little later, seeing that it a.s.signs the name "Nord Amerikanischer Staat" to the region east of the Mississippi River, except to "Florida" which extends westward to this river. We find but one actual date given, this referring to the discovery of a small group of the "Gesellschafts Inseln," reading "Inseln welche die Spanier entdekt haben sollen 1773." It is constructed to revolve within a graduated meridian circle of bra.s.s and an octagonal horizon of wood, on which are indicated in picture the twelve signs of the zodiac, the calendar, and the thirty-two winds or directions, the whole resting on four plain supports of wood strengthened below by light crossbars.

The map is one well drawn for the period, and the engraving of the several names and legends has been most skilfully done. Regional names are numerous, but there has not been an overcrowding of the map with minute details. On the west coast of North America, for example, we find such names as "Norfolk," "Neu Cornwallis," "Neu Hanover," "Neu Georgia,"

"Neu Albion," "Neu Navarre," "Mexico oder Neu Spanien." Central America with the West Indies is called "Mittel America oder West Indien." In South America we find "Neu Granada," "Peru," "Chili," "Brasilien," but "Prasilisches Meer." Certain localities are especially distinguished by the addition of color, as the coast of Australia except the southern coast, which is marked with a dotted line. Many of the East Indian islands and the islands of the Indian Ocean are outlined in color, as also the coast of "Vorder Indien," and "Hinter Indien," the coast of "Arabien," and certain other sections. The geography of the interior of Africa is not as well represented as on many an earlier map, a fact particularly noticeable with reference to the Nile River. The prime meridian is made to pa.s.s through Cape Verde, to the west of which, stretching practically along its entire length, we read "Der Amerikanische Ocean."

Among the globe makers of the eighteenth century whose work carries us over into the nineteenth may be named William Cary (1759-1825).[180] At first a.s.sociated with Ramsden, a renowned mechanic, he established himself in an independent business in London in the year 1790. He is reputed to have constructed the first transit circle made in England, which circle had a diameter of two feet and was provided with a reading microscope. One of his circles of the above date, 41 cm. in diameter, is reported as belonging to the Observatory of Zurich. In addition to the alt.i.tude, azimuth, s.e.xtant, reflecting and refracting telescopic, and microscopic instruments made by him, he interested himself in the construction of terrestrial and celestial globes. Those examples of his to which reference may here be made do not appear to be of the highest order, perhaps due to the fact that he was primarily an instrument maker and not a geographer or an astronomer. Further, the majority of his globes which have been located bear dates subsequent to the year 1800, and therefore do not properly call for reference here.

In the private library of Sr. Vittorio Bianchini of Macerata four of the Cary globes may be found, three celestial and one terrestrial dated 1799. A celestial globe of the same date may be found in the Osservatorio Astronomico of Rome, but its companion, a terrestrial globe, bears the date 1815. Extant Cary globes of the early nineteenth century may be considered numerous.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 132. Anonymous Terrestrial Globe, ca. 1800.]

Notes

[160] Nouvelle biographie generale, "Robert de Vaugondy, Gilles,"

"Robert de Vaugondy, Didier," with references to their works.

[161] Sanson was the author of numerous maps and atlases. His works are extensively referred to by Phillips in his List of Geographical Atlases. See also list of his works in Britannica, "Sanson, Nicolas."

[162] These are referred to in the preface of a work t.i.tled 'Usages des Globes celeste et terrestre, faits par ordre du Roi, par le S.

Robert de Vaugondy, fils.' Paris, 1751.

[163] See work referred to in preceding note.

[164] Cited by Fiorini, Sfere terrestri e celesti, p. 417, n. 2.

[165] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 419.

[166] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 421.

[167] John Flamsteed (1646-1719) was the first astronomer royal, author of 'Atlas Coelestis' and other works treating of astronomical subjects. The figures of the several constellations appearing in this atlas were drawn by James Thornhill. Artistically they are not equal to those appearing in Hevelius' Prodromus astronomiae.

[168] Akerman, A. Globes celeste et terrestre de vingt-deux pouces.

Upsala, 1766.

[169] Poppe. Ausfurliche Geschichte der Anwendung aller krummen Linien in mechanischen Kunsten und in der Architektur. Nurnberg, 1882. p. 65.

[170] Letter and information from the Librarian dated Jan. 14, 1914.

[171] Reference to his publications in Nouvelle biographie, "Bonne, Rigobert."

[172] Nouvelle biographie, "Lalande, Joseph Jerome." This is an excellent article with references to his numerous publications. His 'Bibliographie astronomique,' Paris, 1803, has been of particular value in the preparation of this work. See also Nouveaux globes, celeste et terrestre, d'un pied de diametre par M. De la Lande et M.

Bonne, avec l'explication en une brochure in-12. Paris, 1775.

Lalande, op. cit., refers to a work t.i.tled 'Usage du Planetaire ou sphere mouvante de Copernic, qui se trove chez Fortin, ingenieur-mecanicien du Roi.' Paris, 1773. Fortin issued a French edition of Flamsteed's Atlas under the t.i.tle 'Atlas celeste de Flamsteed approuve par l'Academie Royale des Sciences. Seconde edition par M. J. Fortin Ingenieur-Mecanicien du Roi et de la Famille Royale pour les Globes et les Spheres.' Paris, 1776.

[173] Nouvelle biographie, "Messier, Charles," with a very long list of his publications.

[174] Adams, G. A treatise describing and explaining the construction and the use of new celestial and terrestrial globes, designed to ill.u.s.trate in the most easy manner the phenomena of the earth and heavens, with a great variety of astronomical and geographical problems. London, 1766; A treatise on the construction of globes. London, 1769; Geometrical and geographical essays, containing a description of mathematical instruments. London, 1791; Astronomical and geographical essays. London, 1795.

[175] We find that Nathl. Hill engraved the t.i.tle-page and maps in an atlas by Lewis Morris. Plans and Harbours, etc. London, 1748.

[176] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 439.

[177] Delamarche, C. F. Les usages de la Sphere et des Globes celeste et terrestre. Paris, 1791.

[178] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 432.

[179] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 441.

[180] Dictionary of National Biography, "Cary, William"; Wolf, Geschichte der Astronomie, pp. 562, 563.