Volume Ii Part 13 (1/2)

[148] ”Doppelmayr, Johann Gabriel.” (In: Allgemeine deutsche Biographie.)

[149] Street, T. Astronomia Carolina. A new theory of the celestial motions. London, 1661.

[150] This was a translation of Bion's Traite de la construction et des princ.i.p.aux usages des instruments de mathematique, to which he gave a general t.i.tle 'Neuerofnete mathematische Werkschule.'

Leipzig, 1713. To the t.i.tle of a later edition of this translation was prefixed, ”Dritte Erofnung,” Nurnberg, 1741. The reference is to a technical school of Nurnberg.

[151] Doppelmayr, Johann Gabriel. Historische Nachricht von nurnbergischen Mathematiscis und Kunstlern. Nurnberg, 1730.

[152] Doppelmayr, op. cit.

[153] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 394.

[154] Fiorini, op. cit., pp. 414-415.

[155] A noted French geometrician, professor of mathematics at the College Royal de France, and at l'Academie d'Architecture, 1640-1718.

[156] Fiorini, op. cit., p. 415.

[157] Fiorini, op. cit., pp. 431-432.

[158] Fiorini, op. cit., pp. 410-414.

[159] Ferguson, James. Select mechanical exercises with a short account of the life of the author by himself. London, 1773; ”Ferguson, James.” (In: A biographical dictionary of eminent Scotsmen, originally edited by Robert Chambers, revised by Rev.

Thos. Thompson. London, 1856.); ”Ferguson, James.” (In: Dictionary of National Biography.) The last two articles contain extensive references to Ferguson's works, many of which are of a high order of merit.

[Ill.u.s.tration: s.h.i.+p. _From Jodocus Hondius' World map, 1611_]

Chapter XIII

Globes and Globe Makers of the Second Half of the Eighteenth Century

Few globe makers of striking distinction in this period.--An apparent decrease in scientific interest in globes, but an apparent increase in popular interest.--Gilles and Didier Robert de Vaugondy.--The work of Desnos.--Globes of Gian Francesco Costa the Venetian.--Globes of Akerman and Akrel.--The French globe makers Rigobert Bonne and Lalande.--Charles Messier and Jean Fortin.--Globes of George Adams the Elder, of George Adams the Younger, and of Dudley Adams.--Small globes of Nathaniel Hill.--The work of Innocente Alessandri and Pietro Scaltaglia.--Charles Francis Delamarche.--Ma.n.u.script globes of Vincenzo Rosa.--Geographer and globe maker Giovanni Maria Ca.s.sini.--Globes of William Cary.

During the second half of the eighteenth century there is a continued interest in globe construction, yet the period is not one which is at all striking by reason of the good quality of the work done in this field. Since the latter part of the sixteenth century and the early part of the seventeenth, when, as has been noted, globes were so generally thought to be an essential part of a seaman's outfit of navigating instruments, there had been a remarkable improvement in the construction of sailors' charts resulting from carefully devised methods for the determination of geographical position and the employment of the results in map construction. The plane or sheet chart was again regarded as a more convenient, a more handy guide in navigation than was the globe. If plane chart making had improved so had plane map making. There must, however, have been a considerable popular interest in globes, judging from the number which we know were constructed, and from the number of publications issued which were intended to point out the particular value attaching to globes in geographical and astronomical instruction, to explain their construction, and to indicate the character of the problems which, by their use, could be easily solved. The interest in such objects in this period, perhaps we may say, was rather more extensive than intensive, having more of a popular than of a scientific character.

Among the most prominent French map and globe makers of this period were Gilles Robert de Vaugondy (1688-1766) and Didier Robert de Vaugondy (1723-1786), father and son, reference usually being made to these men in geographical literature under the name ”Robert” or ”Vaugondy.”[160]

Gilles, the grandson of Nicolas Sanson,[161] who had achieved first rank among geographers in his day for his maps and atlases, proved himself to be a worthy member of the family. He doubtless owed his earliest enthusiasm for geographical science to an inheritance of the maps, atlases, and other geographical publications of the grandfather, many of which he reissued, adding to the same his own valuable and independent work. Didier seems to have possessed talents none the less brilliant than were those exhibited by the father, and upon him, in succession, the king conferred the t.i.tle Royal Geographer. In addition to his issue of maps and atlases, the father, often referred to simply as Robert de Vaugondy, became interested in the construction of globes, issuing his first pair, which must have been of small size, in the year 1751, in which work he doubtless was a.s.sisted by the son. The king, it appears, being so well pleased with these, directed the construction of others of larger dimensions, and in the same year a pair was issued, each globe having a diameter of about 48 cm.[162] In the same preface[163] it is stated that the king gave orders for a terrestrial globe with map in ma.n.u.script, the same to have a diameter of about six feet, and the author further notes that ”when this work shall have been completed and presented to His Majesty, I shall give an explanation of the work which I shall have been obliged to put upon the mechanical construction of the ball, also a description of the allegorical ornaments which will adorn the globe support, and a description of the geographical labor I shall have expended.” There appearing no later reference to this particular work, it seems hardly probable that it was ever actually undertaken.

Delamarche gives us to understand that the king could not have been altogether pleased with Vaugondy's first work, observing that while ”it was done to the satisfaction of the Prince, he would have received the compensation due his talents and painstaking labor if the order of the king had been followed.”[164] Wherein he failed we do not know. It may have been this fact which discouraged him in his thought of undertaking the larger work.

In the construction of his globes having a diameter of 48 cm. he was a.s.sisted by the engravers, De la Haye and Gobin, the results being the production of a terrestrial and a celestial globe map of superior excellence.

While it has not been possible to obtain photographs of any of the Vaugondy globes, his map of the world dated 1751 is doubtless much the same as his globe map, presenting geographical records as he thought proper to present them, including a representation of the route of a number of the recent exploring expeditions.

Copies of his globes of the year 1751 cannot now be located, but reproductions of the same, the terrestrial dated 1773 and the celestial dated 1764, may be found in the Biblioteca Governativa of Lucca, in the Biblioteca Real of Caserta, and a copy of the celestial in the Osservatorio Patriarcale of Venice. Shortly after the first issue of the globes in the year 1751 Vaugondy constructed other pairs, each having a diameter of 23 cm. These are dated 1754, copies of which may be found in the Biblioteca Palatina of Parma (two copies of the celestial), in the Pinacoteca Quirini of Venice, and a pair in the Palazzo of the Marquis of Spinola of Ta.s.sarolo.

L. C. (Pierre-Joseph ?) Desnos, a contemporary and an intimate friend of Didier Robert de Vaugondy, was a Danish geographer of distinction, winning for himself in early life the favor of his king and the t.i.tle Geographical Engineer.[165] A considerable number of his maps are known, and especially worthy of note is his atlas, t.i.tled 'Atlas General et elementaire,' dated Paris, 1778, there being other editions of the same with modifications. It has been possible to locate a few of his globes.

The first, a celestial, appears to have been issued as early as the year 1750, a copy of which may be found in the Liceo of Reggio, as there may also be found in the same collection a Desnos terrestrial globe dated 1760. These have each a diameter of about 22 cm. and are reputed to be in an excellent state of preservation. On the bra.s.s meridian circle of the second, one reads, ”Se fait et se vendre chez Desnos rue St. Julien le pauvre 1753,” which legend suggests an issue of the same as early as the date given, and this idea finds support in an engraved legend referring to this particular issue as being one revised and corrected.

There is additional support for the belief that a pair was issued in the year 1753 in the fact that this date appears on the base of the celestial globe. The Desnos maps are all well engraved and, like others of the period, much was made of indicating the routes of many of the famous explorers, including a reference to the success of Bering as follows, ”Les Moscovites ont recouvre ici en 1743 sur les terres ba.s.ses.” In this we have one of the very early references to the Russian successes in this region.

[Ill.u.s.tration: Fig. 129a. Globe of L. C. Desnos, 1782.]