Globes at Greenwich: A Catalogue of the Globes and Armillary Spheres in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198565593 ISBN 13: 9780198565598

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2000

Dating back to classical times, globes are the oldest continuous technique for picturing the Earth and heavens. Globes have been used as classroom and philosophical aids, tools for navigation, compendiums for geographical and astronomical information, and even high-status furniture. Before the onset of modern industrial techniques, their construction required great skill. The National Maritime Museum at Greenwich has one of the world's largest and finest collections of globes, with over 300 items including terrestrial and celestial examples, armillary spheres and planispheres; the collection includes important early collections by Barberini, Landau and Gabb. This volume is a complete catalogue of the collection by one of the leading authorities on Western globes. It includes full descriptions, numerous illustrations, nine introductory essays, and an integrated section on the Museum's Islamic globes.

About the Author:

Dekker is an acknowledged expert on globes who has previously written on the subject. The other contributors are experts on various aspects of globes. Pieter van der Merwe is the Head of Publications at the NMM.

Dr Elly Dekker, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF. Tel: 0181 858 4422. Fax: 0181 312 6632.

Dr E. Dekker, Meidoornlaan 13, Linschoten, NL - 3461 ES, The Netherlands.

Dr Pieter van der Merwe, National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London SE10 9NF. Tel: 0181 858 4422. Fax: 0181 312 6632

Review:

"Globes are...still a relatively new field of interest....The NMM catalogue is therefore very welcome, and everyone should be grateful for the extensive work that has been necessary to complete and publish it....Jonathan Bett gives a detailed illustration of the sophisticated and ingenious mechanisms of clockwork globes, scarcely studied hitherto....This volume is a first-rate source both for general and particular information on globes and globe making throughout the ages...collectors and non-specialists as well as scholars will find easily in this catalogue the answers to many different questions about globes."--Notes and Records

"[A] work whose content, features and attractive design can hardly be surpassed. ... Elly Dekker and her team of authors have created ... an excellent work of great scientific value ... highly recommended for every globe lover."--Globe Studies

"[P]erhaps the most wonderful [National Maritime Museum] publication ever produced. It is intelligent, informative and eautiful and will surely be treasured by globe aficionados around the world."--Imago Mundi

"The authors have done a masterful job in using photography to explain their interpretation of the globes. ... This is altogether a fine volume, breathing visual life into this too often neglected aspect of cartography. The book is well written, with excellent illustrations, figures, and tables, and is a celebration of the enormous amount of insight and information ... It is a pleasure to read and sets the standard for books on globes for years to come."--Earth Science History