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

by Edward Luther Stevenson

In addition to this example the British Museum kindly sends the information that in its collection there is a copy of Blaeu’s terrestrial globe of the year 1606, agreeing in its dimensions with the copy in the collection of The Hispanic Society of America, also of a celestial globe of the same date which appears to be a unique copy.

The Hispanic Society of America also possesses a terrestrial and a celestial globe, the work of Blaeu, globes clearly issued as companion pieces (Fig. [94]), which appear to be the only copies known, the latter dated 1616, the former undated.[38] The spheres have each a diameter of about 10 cm., a substantial and artistic mounting of brass, including meridian and horizon circles, four twisted support columns, and a circular base plate. Though small in size, probably the smallest constructed by Blaeu, in their geographical and astronomical details they are remarkably full.

Fig. 94. Terrestrial and Celestial Globes of Willem Jansz. Blaeu, 1616.

The terrestrial globe, in an artistic cartouch near the south pole, is referred to as “Nova Orbis Terrarum Descriptio Auctor Guilielmo Blaeu.” “A new description of the world by Willem Blaeu author.” Unlike that of the year 1606, noted above, it contains no reference to the expedition of Van Schouten and Le Maire, and records only the Strait of Magellan at the southern extremity of South America. Continental contours, even that of “Magallanica” and of the New World, agree in practically all details with his earlier globes and general world maps. He has retained certain geographical names which appear more or less conspicuously on some of the earlier maps, as “Estotiland” north of Labrador, “Frisland” and “Island” in the north Atlantic and “Norembega” applied to the coast of Maine. The north Pacific is entirely too narrow and the island of “Japan” is located not far from the west coast of North America. Bering Strait is well represented but is unnamed. The map is not well preserved, the chief injury to it being in the western part of North America and in the central and eastern Pacific.

The celestial globe, which is the companion of the former, has a similar brass mounting. It is remarkably well preserved and all inscriptions on the surface of the ball are easily legible. It is made to revolve about the axis of the ecliptic. The figures representing the several constellations have been artistically engraved, and stars up to the sixth magnitude have appropriate and distinct representation. A legend near the south pole reads “Sphaera stellata in qua ceu speculo Stellae fixae ex accuratis Nobilis viri D. Tychonis Brahe observationibus ad annum 1600 accommodatae conspicuae sito ponuntur.” “The starry sphere in which as in a mirror the fixed stars are placed by the accurate observations of the Noble D. Tycho Brahe, accommodated to the year 1600.”

Blaeu’s earliest globes, as has been noted, were of small dimensions. It must have been shortly after the year 1616 that he decided to undertake the construction of those of much greater size, to the end of making his work the more serviceable; but to this he may have been led in part, as before noted, by the success of the large globes of Hondius of the year 1613.[39] Unfortunately it is not easy to determine the exact date of the several issues of his work appearing in the last twenty years of his life. In general, the date of the construction of the globes of these years is altogether wanting. The dedications in the several reprints or editions vary, as do many of the inscriptions, while the large size of the globes remains practically the same. One cannot feel certain that a date, apparently given as the year of construction, is accurate, since it is very evident in the several reprints care was not always given to this detail.

The first issue of his large terrestrial globes seems to date from the year 1622, though the suggestion is not wanting that he had actually completed the celestial globe before the close of the year 1616.

With but slight variation in the form of the expression, we find on all examples of his largest globes the inscription “Amstelredami. Excusum in aedibus auctoris ...,” indicating at least that the printing was done in the author’s Amsterdam workshop. All have a diameter of about 68 cm., though the mountings of the several known examples differ somewhat.