Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume 1: Their History and Construction Including a Consideration of their Value as Aids in the Study of Geography and AstronomyStevenson, Edward Luther
History
Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume 1: Their History and Construction Including a Consideration of their Value as Aids in the Study of Geography and Astronomy
Stevenson, Edward Luther
Geography -- History; Globes
Attention has been called above to the acquisition by the Royal Library
of Brussels of a copy each of the terrestrial and the celestial globe
gores, and that the discovery of the same having created an especial
interest in his work, other examples were soon brought to light in
Italy, in Spain, in France, in Germany, and in Austria. A pair may be
found in the Muséum Astronomique of Paris, a pair in the Royal Library
of Vienna, a pair in the Germanisches National Museum in Nürnberg, a
pair in the archives of the town of St. Nicholas de Waes, a copy of the
terrestrial globe in the Grand Ducal Library of Weimar, a copy of the
celestial in the Convent of Adamont, Istria, and a copy of the
terrestrial in the Convent of Stams, Tyrol. Dr. Buonanno, director of
the Biblioteca Governativa of Cremona, in 1890 briefly described a pair
of Mercator’s globes belonging to that library, and what he was able to
learn as a result of their damaged condition of Mercator’s method of
construction is not without interest. He found that over a framework
composed of thin, narrow strips of wood had been pasted first a cloth
covering, over this a thin layer of plaster and that to this was added a
covering of a pastelike substance about six or seven millimeters in
thickness, consisting of plaster, wood fiber, or sawdust, and glue. On
this prepared surface had then been pasted the engraved gores. The
learned librarian’s conjecture as to the manner in which these globes
found their way into Italy, if correct, is of interest, pointing as it
does to the formation of a great art collection in that period. He
recalls that Caesar Speciano, Bishop of Cremona, had been sent in 1592
as nuncio to Germany, and that he had occasion, during his mission, to
attend to certain matters pertaining to the inheritance of William, Duke
of Cleves, in whose country there must still have existed the workshop
of Mercator. The opinion is expressed that on the return of the Bishop
to Italy he carried with him many books and art objects, which had come
into his hands either through purchase or through gift, and that the
same passed into the possession of the Cremona Library, a library
belonging to the Jesuits until the time of the suppression of that
order.[282]
The Biblioteca Municipale of Urbania possesses a pair of Mercator’s
globes of 1541 and 1551, which are reported to be in a fair state of
preservation. It is thought that they may have come into the library’s
collection through the last reigning member of the house, Duke Francesco
Maria.
In the Museo Astronomico of Rome two copies of the terrestrial globe of
1541 may be found, and a copy of the celestial of the year 1551. These,
it will be seen from the reproduction (Fig. 62), are not in a good state
of preservation, although a very considerable portion of the map records
can be read.
[Illustration: Fig. 62. Terrestrial Globe of Gerhard Mercator, 1541.]
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