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
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 pass 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 associated 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 Zürich. In addition to the
altitude, azimuth, sextant, 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.
[Illustration: Fig. 132. Anonymous Terrestrial Globe, ca. 1800.]
Notes
[160] Nouvelle biographie générale, “Robert de Vaugondy, Gilles,”
“Robert de Vaugondy, Didier,” with references to their works.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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