In the same year that he published his epoch-making maps he issued the first edition of his globes, those having a diameter of about 31 cm. and those having a diameter of about 15 cm. The globe balls were constructed of papier-mâché covered with plaster over which were pasted the gore maps, each map composed of twelve parts with the usual polar discs. The engraver, we are told, in a brief legend on the terrestrial globe, was Carolus Simonneau, “Car. Simon. del. et sculpsit.” On the larger of the terrestrial globes is the title legend “Globe terrestre dressé sur les observations de l’Académie Royale des sciences et autres mémoires,” and a dedication reading, “À Son Altesse Royale Monseigneur Le Duc de Chartres. Par son très humble et très obéissant serviteur G. De l’Isle Géographie. Berey sculpsit.”
The celestial globe bears the title, “Globe céleste calculé pour l’an 1700. Sur les observations les plus récents. Par. G. De l’Isle Géographe,” and is dedicated “À Son Altesse Royale Monseigneur le Duc de Chartres. Par son très humble et très obéissant Serviteur De l’Isle,” with the following reference to the privilege “À Paris Chez l’Auteur sur le Quai de l’Horologe à la Couronne de Diamans. Avec Privilége du Roy pour 20 ans. 1700.”
While it has not been possible to obtain a detailed description of Delisle’s globe maps, they are referred to as giving practically the same information as his plane maps, many of the latter to be found in our important library collections, and cannot be considered rare.[124]
The several constellations which he has represented on his celestial globes are those of Ptolemy to which have been added two in the northern hemisphere and thirteen in the southern, and the year chosen for the representation of the position of the stars is 1700. In general the names chosen for the several constellations are French, though a few are in Latin.
A pair of Delisle’s globes may be found in the Königliches Museum of Cassel, dated 1709; a pair dated 1700 in the Museo di Strumenti Antichi of Florence, and a terrestrial globe dated 1700 in the Real Biblioteca of Madrid (Fig. [118]).
Fig. 118. Terrestrial Globe of Guillaume Delisle, 1700.
