Terrestrial and Celestial Globes Vol I

Early Years of the Great

in globe construction.-Martin Behaim and his globe of the year 1492.-The Laon globe.-Christopher and Bartholomew Columbus and their i

century, under the inspiration of Prince Henry the Navigator, the Portuguese were feeling their way down the coast of Africa, adding year by year to their knowledge of hitherto unknown lands;97 the Atlantic island groups, one by one, were discovered or rediscovered,98 and in 1487 Bartholomew Diaz turned the Cape of Good H

the earth came a desire for better map making,101 and attention was again intelligently directed to the constructi

During his earlier years in Portugal he was connected with one or more expeditions down the coast of Africa, was knighted by the king, presumably for his services, and made his home for some years on the island of Fayal. In the year 1490 he returned for a visit to his native city, Nürnberg, and there is reason for believing that on this occasion he was received with much honor by his fellow townsmen. It was the suggestion of George Holzschuher, member of the City Council, and himself somewhat famed as a traveler, that eventually brought special renown to our globe maker, for he it was who proposed to his colleagues of the Council that Martin Behaim should be requested to undertake the construction of a globe on which the recent Portuguese and other discoveries should be represented. From a record on the globe itself, placed within the Antarctic circle, we learn that the work was undertaken on the authority of three distinguished citizens, Gabriel Nutzel, Pau

be of Martin

rtrait of M

rnberg, to the Germanic Museum, where it may now be found. It originally stood on a tripod base of wood, but this was later replaced by one o

erhaps the most attractive feature of the globe consists of 111 miniatures, for which we are indebted to Glockenthon's clever pencil. The vacant space within the Antarctic circle is occupied by a fine design of the Nürnberg eagle with the virgin's head, associated with which are the arms of the three chief captains by whose authority the globe was made.... There are, in addition, 48 flags (including 10 of Portugal) and 15 coats of arms, all of them showing heraldic colors. The miniatures represent a variety of subjects. Forty-eight of them show us kings seated within tents or upon thrones; full-length portraits are given of four Saints (St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Matthew, and St. Iago), of missionaries instructing n

ildness und v?gel die waren so zam dass sy vor niemandt flohen aber von leutten oder thieren mit vier füssen war von wegē der wildnuss keins darkhumen zu wohen um desswillen die v?gel mit scheuh waren also wurden sy geheissen insuln dos azores das ist auf teutsch so vil als der habichen inseln und umb weliche wellen der k?nik von portugal das ander jar schikt 16 schiff mit allerley zame thiere und liess auf jede insel sein tail thun und darzu multiplieieren." This legend, which lies to the southeast of the Azores Islands, reads in translation: "1431 years after the birth of our dear Lord, when there reigned in Portugal the Infant Don Pedro, the infant Don Henry, the King of Portugal's brother, had fitted out two vesse

of Martin Behai

ern cristen man und frawen dj zu sciff von hispanie das geflohen kommen mit Irem vieh hab und gut anno 1414 ist ein schiff aus hispania ungefert darbei gewest am negsten." "In the year 734 of Christ when the whole of Spain had been won by the heathen of Africa, the above island Antilia called Sep

y contributed. The chief magistrate induced his fellow citizen to give instruction in the art of making such instruments, yet this seems to have lasted b

a common axis, likewise a horizon circle which is movable. Numerous circles appear engraved on the surface of the ball, including meridians and parallels. The prime meridian passes through the Madeira Islands, a fact which suggests a Portuguese origin, since these islands are generally thought to have been discovered by Lusitanian seamen. One hundred and eighty degrees east of this prime meridian, a second meridian is engraved, equally prominent, passing through the middle of the continent

an that of Martin Behaim, yet at the southern extremity of Africa we find the name "M

ears, however, from this letter that the famous Italian cosmographer, Pauolo Toscanelli, himself was accustomed to explain problems arising in the field of discovery by the use of the globe, and Las Casas tells us that Columbus resolved to write to him, making known his intentions, which he desired to be able to fulfil, and sent to him a globe through Lorenzo Girardi, a Florentine, at that time residing in Lisbon.112 Ferdinand Columbus, referring to this incident, says that "the globe was a small one."113 In referring to Bartholomew, the son of Christopher Columbus, Las Casas observes that "he was

zo Lotto Portr

cember 18, 1497, by the envoy Raimondi di Soncino to the Duke of Milan, we read that "this Master John has a description of the world on a map, and also on a

of Sebastian Cabot

ion of the earth's surface than could be set forth on a plane map, but it is likewise significant by reason of the fact that such globes as were constructed served to demonstrate

ugh no such globe of his is now known, and from his letters to Reuchlin we learn that he made no less than three celestial globes.119 One of the latter he sent to his friend, Probst Peter Wolf of Denkendorf, which represented the movements of the sun and of the moon. A second was constructed for Bishop von Dalberg of Worms, on which the stars were represented in gold.120 Nothing further is definitely known of these two globes. A third was constructed for Bishop Daniel of Constance, which is the one now to be found in that city's librar

Vienna University,123 tells us of the school founded in Vienna in the year 1510 by the Emperor Maximilian I, and of the instruction given in this school by Celtes. We are informed that in his lectures on mathematical geography he introduced a good text of Ptolemy in the original Greek; this he translated into Latin, interpreting the same in German, explainin

O

ory biographies of Prince Henry; Beazley, C. R. Prince Henry the Navigator. New York, 1895; Azurara, Gomez Eannes de. Chronicle of the Disco

s au moyen age dans l'Océan Atlantique. Paris, 1845; same author, Les ?les fantastiques de l'Océan occidental au moyen age.

ar to have been lost to the knowledge of the Europeans during the greater part of the middle ages,

o and Bartholomew Diaz. (In: Geographical Jo

chap. ii; Yule, H. The Book of Sir Marco Polo, the Venetian, conc

Stevenson, E. L. Portolan Charts, their origin and characteristics. New York, 1911; same author, G

ous additions might be made, a general notion of t

und der des Johann Sch?ner 1520. Nürnberg, 1842; same author, Geschichte des Seefahrers Ritter Martin Behaim, nach den ?ltesten vorhandenen Urkunden bearbeitet. Nürnberg, 1853; Ziegler, A. Martin Behaim, der Geistige Entdecker Amerikas. Dresden, 1859; Günther, S. Martin Behaim. Bamberg, 1890; Wieser, F. v.

here and there, the possibility of inaccuracy in the readings due to the damaged condition of the globe. Vignaud, H., in his Toscanelli and Columbus, pp. 182-186, gives a list of the numerous reproductions of the globe map, with a brief word concerning each. It may here be added that an excellent reproduction of the globe, mounted as is the original, and made for Dr. W. B. James of New York, in Nürnberg, the Ravenstein gores being

ee Fi

globe making to be cited here. The translation is Ravenstein's, pp. 111-112. "Expenditure on the globe. Expenditure, Nürnberg, August 26, 1494. Below is to be found a statement of what I, George Holzschuher have expended by order of my lords of the city treasury, upon li

here, and spent 15 weeks over it, fl. 14; to hi

21 dn.; also for wine and beer, and other things, for the limner's dinner whilst painting the globe, and occasionally also for Peham; and for

3, dn. 21

lperger, and round which Kalperger was to have mad

lb.-, d

tect the sphere from dust, 3 lb., 20 dn.; also to the smith for two iron hoops within which the sphere revol

6, dn. 10

to be hung in the town office, 1 fl. 3 lb.; also for painting, etc., 1 fl.; also for lining and glueing (mounting) the sam

cit fl. 4, lb.

' in return for which he was to have made the large sphere; he had also broken the pattern or mould for which 2 gulden (20s) had to be paid to Glockengiesser; h

his doubtless is a reference to the globe. Ghillany attributes this work to Werner. See also Günther, S. J

in, op. cit.

in, op. cit.

tein, op.

aon, anterieur à la découverte de l'Amerique. (In: Bulle

of the discovery of the globe, toge

stre de Gérard Mercator. St. Nicolas, 1874. p

r makers. New York, 1911; Berthoud, F. Histoire de

on in this period. See the reference, p. 73, to the Lenox globe, the reference, p.

scanelli and Colum

including a reference to those students of the question who do not agree with the author's point of view. See also t

. Historia de las Indias. M

nice, 1571. Chap. vii, p. 15. See Churchill, Voyages,

s, op. cit.,

sas, op. c

cci, F. Di Giovanni e Sebastiano Caboto. Venezia, 1892. p. 351; Winsor, J. N

es the first translation into English (tr. by Professor B. H. Nash). A very superior

ngen, ein Characterbild aus dem ersten Halbjah

to by Moll in his chapte

er," refers to him as globe maker and as clock maker

referring to this globe a

op. cit.,

S. Geschichte

anisten im Zeitalters Kaiser Maximilians I. (In: Geschi