The National Museum of Washington possesses a fine example of Vopel’s work (Fig. [9]), concerning which Mr. Maynard, curator of Mechanical Technology, writes that “the globe in this Museum is an armillary sphere of eleven metal rings, 4½ inches in diameter, with a very small globe in the center. The rings are elaborately inscribed with astronomical signs and scales, with names in Latin. On one of the rings is the inscription, ‘Caspar Vopel, Artium Professor, Hanc Sphaeram Faciebat Colonia, 1541.’”[238]
In 1542 he constructed his first terrestrial globe, a copy of which is to be found in the Cologne archives.[239] It has a diameter of 28 cm., its map gores, as in the case of the celestial globe of 1536, being printed from an engraved plate. Excepting the discoloration of age and a slight indentation near the north pole, it is well preserved. The title legend reads “Nova et integra universi orbis descriptio.” “A new and complete description of the entire globe.” A second legend, placed in the middle Atlantic, reads “Caspar Vopel Medebach geographicam sphaeram hanc faciebat Coloniae A. 1542.” “Caspar Vopel of Medebach made this globe in 1542 at Cologne.” His terrestrial map assures us of his acceptance of the idea that the American continent could be but an extension of the continent of Asia; that is, like his predecessor Schöner and others of the second quarter of the sixteenth century, referred to above, he had concluded after Magellan had found a termination of the newly found transatlantic region at the south, and no passageway from the Atlantic to the Pacific north of the equator had been found though search had frequently been made for the same, this country could therefore no longer be considered as an independent continent. The river “Cham,” which on his map he made to empty into the Gulf of Mexico, he gives as the dividing line between “Hispania Nova” and “Cathay.” There is striking evidence that Vopel was acquainted with Orontius Finaeus’ map of 1531 or its source, as, for example, he writes across the great austral continent, “Terra Australis recenter inventa, sed nondum plene cognita,” adding the words “Anno 1499,” which also appear on the Paris Wooden globe of 1535.
In the Old Nordiske Museum of Copenhagen is an armillary sphere of Vopel, composed of eleven brass rings representing the equator, the ecliptic, the tropics, the polar circles, etc., within which is a small terrestrial globe, on the surface of which is a manuscript world map. Quad refers to this globe in the following words: “Item ein Astrolabium novum varium ac plenum das auff alle Landschafften (kann) dirigiert werden beide den Mathematicis unnd Medicis sehr nutz, in funffzehen Stöck und auff acht bogen gedruckt, darunder auch ein kleine artige Mappa Mundi ins runde gelegt ist.”[240]
On the circle representing the Tropic of Cancer is engraved the legend “Caspar Vopell Medebach hanc sphaeram faciebat Coloniae 1543.” “Caspar Vopel of Medebach made this globe in Cologne in the year 1543.” On the bottom of the box in which the globe is kept is a modern label reading “Nocolaus Copernicus 1543 ... ty ... Brah.” Copernicus died in the year designated, and Tycho Brahe was born in the year 1546. It appears, therefore, that this globe once belonged to the great Danish astronomer.
In the Library of Congress, acquired from L. Friedrichsen of Hamburg, is a fine example of the work of Vopel.[241] This armillary sphere of eleven rings, encircling a terrestrial globe 7.2 cm. in diameter, is mounted on a copper base. On the circle representing the Tropic of Cancer is the inscription “Caspar Vopel artiv̄ profes. hanc sphaeram faciebat Coloniae 1543.” “Caspar Vopel professor of arts made this globe in Cologne in the year 1543,” while on the remaining circles are engraved numerous cosmographical signs and names. The terrestrial globe is covered with a manuscript map in colors, and bears the title legend “Nova ac generalis orbis descriptio,” and the author legend “Caspar Vopel mathe. faciebat.” Most of the regional names on the map are in red, and a red dot is employed to indicate the location of certain important cities, the names in general being omitted. The globe is remarkably well preserved (Fig. [56]).
Fig. 56. Vopel Globe, 1543.
