The shifting of globe making interest to the northwest of Europe at the close of the sixteenth century.—The Van Langrens as leaders.—Jodocus Hondius and his son Henricus.—Willem Jansz. Blaeu and his sons, John and Cornelius.—The Ferreri armillary sphere.—Globes of Peter Plancius.—Isaac Habrecht.—Globes of Mattheus Greuter and their reproduction by Rossi.—Manfredus Settàla.—Abraham Goos.—Adam Heroldt.
AS the first post-Columbian century came to its close the center of interest in great transoceanic exploration and discovery shifted to the northwest of Europe, to England, and to the Netherlands. Since expeditions were daily setting sail to all shores of the world, “Quoniam in omnes mundi plagas quotidie magis magisque navigatur,” quoting the word of the enthusiastic Hondius, the chart and globe makers found their services in great demand, globes both terrestrial and celestial being still regarded as essential to a navigator’s complete outfit of sailing instruments. The quick-witted Netherlanders, with well-developed business instincts, engravers, printers, map and globe makers, set to work to correct the old and to construct new “seamen’s cards” to serve the seafarers in their enterprises, and it was not long after entering this field of scientific endeavor that leadership by them was clearly attained.
Although of Danish origin, perhaps logically the Van Langren family should have had first consideration in this chapter, since father and sons came to be loyal supporters of their new homeland’s interests, and it was in the Netherlands where were laid the scenes of their activities in the field here under consideration. Chronologically, however, they had place in the preceding chapter because their work as globe makers began in the early eighties of the sixteenth century. They, at least, be it said to their credit, led the way, achieving some of their highest successes in the early seventeenth century. This, too, was the time when the Hondius, the Blaeu, the Jansson, and the Goos families came to the front to contribute their part, in a very distinguished manner, toward the promotion of the work so ably begun by their contemporary, Jacobus Florentius van Langren.
Jodocus Hondius (1567-1611) was a native of Wacken (Fig. [60]).[1] To this village his parents, shortly before his birth, had fled from Ghent to escape the persecuting hand of Count Egmont. The father, Oliver de Hondt, a modest teacher but a man very learned in theology, had embraced the reformed faith and therefore became an outlaw by decree of the government. On the arrest of Egmont, he with his family returned to Ghent, to remain but a short time, for in the year 1569 we find a residence had been taken up at Duffel near Antwerp. In this city two children were born, a daughter whose name is now unknown and a son Henry, usually referred to as Henry the Elder.
Jodocus at an early age gave evidence of possessing very remarkable talent for designing and engraving. We are told that at the age of eight he began to apply himself to the art of portraiture, of ivory carving, and of copper engraving, and that his father, noting the exhibition of special talent in the son, placed him as an apprentice with an engraver and sculptor in Antwerp. During this period of apprenticeship he carried on his studies of the fine arts, also of Latin, Greek, and mathematics, under the direction of his father, at the same time applying himself to the work of map engraving. It probably was about the year 1585 that he went to England, where, by reason of the talent he exhibited, he found employment with the English geographers, Richard Hakluyt and Edward Wright, during which period he appears to have engraved and printed a small world map in hemispheres. In the year 1592 he returned to Amsterdam, where he established himself as an engraver and printer, turning his attention especially to the issue of geographical maps.[2] Among his friends he numbered the men most prominent in his field, notably Petrus Bertius, very learned as a geographer, and Petrus Montanus.[3] It appears to have been Bertius who informed him of the intention of the heirs of Mercator to dispose of that illustrious geographer’s engraving and printing establishment, and who perhaps negotiated the sale of the same. At any rate, we find that in the year 1604 Jodocus Hondius came into possession of the Mercator copper plates of the Ptolemy maps, and at the same time he seems also to have acquired the greater part of the edition of Mercator’s ‘Atlas’ of 1602 then remaining unsold. In the year 1605 Hondius prepared and issued a third edition of the Ptolemy maps; in 1606 he issued a third edition of Mercator’s ‘Atlas’; in 1608 he published a fourth edition; in 1609 and in 1610 other editions.[4] It must have been in the year 1611 that he issued his great world map in two hemispheres, bearing the title “Novissima ac exactissima totius orbis terrarum descriptio magna cura & industria ex optimis quibusque tabulis Geographicis et Hydrographicis nuperrimisque doctorum virorum observationibus duobus planisphaerijs delineata. Auct. I. Hondio.” This work has been recently issued in a superb facsimile of the only known extant original copy, now in the possession of Prince Maximilian of Waldburg zu Wolfegg-Waldsee.[5] Of such superior excellence is the work of Hondius, as exhibited in this masterpiece, that it justly entitles him to first place among those who, up to this date, had undertaken to construct world maps.
It seems to have been early in his career as engraver and printer that he prepared his first globe gores and issued his first celestial globe. The director of the Germanisches Nationalmuseum of Nürnberg, in courteous communication, reports that in the rich collection of that institution there is a Hondius globe of the year 1592, which date, if accurately read, makes this to be the only known copy of what must be taken as his first issue. The map is a colored copper engraving covering a ball of wood having a diameter of 60 cm. The mounting of the globe, which clearly is the original, consists of the usual circles, resting upon six wooden support columns. A more detailed description of this particular example it has not been possible to obtain.[6]
Not until the year 1600 does there appear to have been a second issue of his globes. Of this second issue a remarkably fine pair (Figs. [88], [89]) was recently acquired by Mr. Henry E. Huntington of New York City.[7] Excepting very slight damage to the celestial globe in the north polar region, they may be said to be in practically as fine condition as they were when first given out from the master’s workshop. Their complete history has not been obtainable, but so remarkably well preserved are they that it seems quite probable they have been kept through all these years in the library case of some rich Italian treasure-loving family. There cannot be the slightest doubt of their age, certainly none of the age of the spheres themselves, but the exact date of the bronze mounting, though clearly in the style of certain Italian workmanship of the period, is less easy to determine. These globes have a diameter of about 34 cm. and an entire height, including the base, of 73 cm. The spheres on which have been pasted the twelve engraved gores are of papier-mâché, over which is a covering of plaster and a coating of thick varnish or shellac giving a smooth surface for the terrestrial and the celestial maps. To each, color was artistically applied by hand, which still retains a richness of tone. Each is supplied with a bronze meridian and horizon circle and with an hour circle attached in the accustomed manner at the north pole. These circles are appropriately graduated, the horizon circle having, in addition to its graduation into three hundred and sixty degrees, a series of concentric circles engraved, counting from the outermost, with the names of the winds, compass directions in the Dutch language, the names of the months, and the signs of the zodiac. Each sphere with its circles is carried on a base composed of three artistically designed and engraved bronze supports, these being attached at their lower extremities by an appropriately designed plate, and in this plate has been set a compass, still apparently in perfect condition, the dial face of this compass having a diameter of 8 cm. Aside from their scientific value for the student of geography and of astronomy, these are fit pieces to adorn the library shelves of a prince among American book collectors, as they must, in keeping with the custom of the time, have once adorned the shelves of an Italian patrician book lover.
Fig. 88. Terrestrial Globe of Jodocus Hondius, 1600.