Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Volume 2: 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 2: 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
thereon the usual records referring to the zodiacal constellations and
to the time reckoning. This horizon circle rests upon four supporting
arms or quadrants, which in turn are carried by a tripod base of wood.
The spheres are of pasteboard with plaster of Paris covering, on which
the respective maps have been pasted, each map being composed of
twenty-four gores or biangles, or of twice twenty-four, since each is
cut on the line of the equator to facilitate mounting. The geographical
records given on the terrestrial globe map are practically such as one
could find on the best plane maps of the period, always, however, in
this connection remembering that those regions which had not been
visited or carefully charted by explorers gave to the map maker
considerable latitude for a play of his imagination. It is interesting,
for example, here to note that Adams appears to have been very uncertain
about his information relative to the western and southwestern part of
the present United States. He seems to have caught from some explorer’s
account that the Colorado River flows westward, emptying directly into
the Pacific, and he so marks it, giving, however, to the river the name
St. Bartholomew. The celestial globe revolves on the axis of the
equator, the gores being made to terminate at the poles of the ecliptic.
Constellations are represented so far as they have been named by
astronomers to date, the several figures being artistically drawn, on
which color has been somewhat sparingly employed. Each constellation is
given its old name with an English translation; star names, when given,
are frequently in Arabic, Latin or Chinese, and are distinguished by
Greek letters. Recently discovered stars are so marked as to be easily
distinguished.
In addition to the above, a pair of Adams globes may be found in the
Osservatorio Astronomico of Naples and a pair in the Biblioteca
Classense of Ravenna. A copy of the terrestrial may be found in the
Seminario Vescovile of Padua. A copy of the terrestrial dated 1785 may
be found in the Biblioteca Real of Madrid, agreeing in general with the
preceding except in the mounting. The author and date legend appears in
a neat cartouch in the North Pacific, reading: “Britanniarum Rigi
Augustissimo Georgio Tertio Scientiarum Cultori pariter et praefidio
Globum hunc Terrestrem. Omnes hactenus exploratios terrarum tractus. Ad
Observationes Navigantium Itinerantium et Astronomorum recentiores,
accuratissime descriptos exhibentem Grati animi et pietatis monumentum
D. D. Q. Omni cultu et officio devinctissimus. G. Adams. Londini apud G.
Adams artificem regium in vico (?) Fleet Street, 1785.”
[Illustration: Fig. 130. Terrestrial Globe of George Adams, 1782.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account