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
The Mathematisch-Physikal. Salon of Dresden possesses a fine celestial
globe signed and dated “B. F. 1600.” It is an exceedingly elaborate
piece (Fig. 87), being made of gilded bronze and furnished with a
mounting of ornamental design. The sphere, having a diameter of 11.6
cm., exhibits on its engraved surface in outline the figures of the
several constellations, with the name of each, and in addition the
principal celestial circles including the meridians. It is furnished, in
its mountings, with a graduated bronze meridian circle to which is
attached, near the north equatorial pole, a clock dial with hour and
minute hands, the dial being marked with the hours from I to XII.
Surmounting the whole is an artistic bronze box, within which have been
placed the works by means of which the clock is driven and the sphere
made to revolve. The broad horizon circle, which is engraved with the
usual concentric circles, rests upon branched supports, which in turn
are attached to a finely wrought base having four curved legs
terminating in conventionally designed griffin claws.
[Illustration: Fig. 87. Celestial Globe of B. F., 1600.]
Though differing very considerably in the details of its construction,
it may be classed with such globes as are those made by Roll and
Reinhold, briefly described above. Indeed, the suggestion forces itself
upon one that to their workshop or to one who may be referred to as a
workman of their school, we owe this interesting example. Attention has
been previously called to certain early globes which seem primarily to
have been constructed to contain the works of clocks such as the
Jagellonicus. Here as in the case of the Roll and Reinhold globes, and
as in certain other examples, we find clockwork attachments designed to
regulate the revolutions of the globe of which they form a part. While
the globe is the more elaborately wrought part of this particular
example, it does not seem improbable that the clock originally was
considered to be the more important part.
NOTES
[334] See Chap. X.
[335] Kästner. Geschichte der Mathematik. Vol. II, pp. 215
ff.; Wolf, R. Notizen zur Geschichte der Mathematik in der
Schweiz, “Conrad Dasypodius.” (In: Mitteilung der
naturforschenden Gesellschaft zu Bern. Bern, 1845. No. 56.);
Allgemeine deutsche Biographie, “Dasypodius, Conrad.”
[336] Doppelmayr. Historische Nachricht. p. 51.
[337] Schricker, A. Z. Zur Geschichte der Universität
Strassburg. Strassburg, 1872; Heitz, E. Zur Geschichte der
alten Strassburger Universität. Strassburg, 1885.
[338] The British Museum Catalogue lists many of these
works.
[339] Wolf, R. Nachrichten. (In: Mitteilung der
naturforschenden Gesellschaft zu Bern. Bern, 1854. p. 69.);
Doppelmayr, op. cit., p. 115; Habrecht, I. Tractatus de
planiglobis coelestis ac terrestris. Strassburg, 1628.
[340] Doppelmayr, op. cit., p. 208.
[341] Montucla, J. E. Histoire des Mathématiques ... Paris,
1799-1802.
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