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
In addition to the globes of Mercator referred to above, it is known
that after taking up his residence in Duisburg he constructed a small
celestial globe of glass, on the surface of which he engraved with a
diamond the several constellations, and that he likewise constructed a
very small terrestrial globe of wood, apparently such as were later
called pocket globes, having all geographical records given as
accurately presented as on the larger globes.[283]
How great was the direct influence of Mercator on globe making
activities, it may not be easy to trace, but the evidence seems to be
conclusive, as Breusing has noted, that his should be counted the
greatest, among those active within this field, for fifty years and
more, following the issue of his first work in the year 1541. It is
among the Italian globe makers, and those in the peninsula interested in
such instruments, that we seem to find the first and most striking
evidence of his influence, which will be noted in the following pages.
Giovanni Gianelli of Cremona is referred to, by certain early Italian
writers, as a clock and globe maker of remarkable ability,[284] the
justice of which estimate is abundantly supported by the character of
the one example of his handiwork extant, belonging to the Biblioteca
Ambrosiana of Milan, to which it came from the collection of Canon
Manfred Settàla about the middle of the seventeenth century. This is an
armillary sphere of brass, the diameter of its largest or zodiacal
circle being 14 cm. This circle is graduated and has engraved on its
outer surface the names of the twelve constellations. It is likewise
provided with a graduated equatorial circle, with polar circles and
those representing the tropics. At the common center of the several
rings is a small ball, 5 cm. in diameter, which is made to serve as a
terrestrial globe. On one of the circles is the inscription “Janellus
MDXLIX Mediolani fecit,” and we further find inscribed the name
“Hermetis Delphini,” which perhaps tells us of a one-time possessor. In
a volume describing the museum of Canon Settàla, and issued in the year
1666, Gianelli and his work are thus referred to:
“To that great man Gianelli of Cremona there is due great honor, whose
personal qualities made him an especial favorite of His Catholic Majesty
Philip II. Among the many globes which he constructed our museum
possesses one of surpassing excellence, in that it exhibits, in addition
to other movements, that which astrologers call the movement of
trepidation, and which movement was set forth in theory by Thebit.”[285]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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