Accession No
6745
Brief Description
print, copper-plate engraving, entitled 'The Moon in her mean libration', drawn by John Cooke, engraved by Mary Cooke, published by John Cooke, English, published 1st September 1808
Origin
England; London; Camden Town; 11 Upper Pratt Place
Maker
Cooke, Mary
Class
prints; astronomy
Earliest Date
1808
Latest Date
1808
Inscription Date
1808
Material
paper
Dimensions
229mm (width), 287mm (max depth)
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Le Zograscope in December 2021.
Inscription
Drawn by John Cooke
The Moon in her mean libration
Engraved by Miss Mary Cooke from a Drawing made from actual Observations with an excellent achromatic Telescope of Mr Dollond's of 46 Inches focus with a triple Object glass of 3 Inches ¾ Aperture, under the immediate direction of Willm Kitchener Esqre M.D.
Published Septr 1st 1808, by John Cooke Map engraver & Geographer No.11.Upper Pratt Place Camden Town.
Sold by Mr.Bate No.17 Poultry. Mr.Banks No.441 Strand. Mr.Bagster No.81 Strand. Mr.Cary 182 Strand. Mr.Dollond St.Pauls Ch.Yard & Mr.Potts St.Martins Court.
Description Notes
Print, copper-plate engraving, entitled 'The Moon in her mean libration', drawn by John Cooke, engraved by Mary Cooke, published by John Cooke, English, published 1st September 1808.
Single cream-coloured paper sheet with a copper-plate engraving of the Moon and the following text below:
'The Moon in her mean libration
Engraved by Miss Mary Cooke from a Drawing made from actual Observations with an excellent achromatic Telescope of Mr Dollond's of 46 Inches focus with a triple Object glass of 3 Inches ¾ Aperture, under the immediate direction of Willm Kitchener Esqre M.D.'
Complete
References
Events
Description
This exquisite view of the Moon was first published as a stand-alone print in 1808. Mary Cooke, its engraver, was only seventeen years old when she was awarded a silver prize medal for it by the Society of Arts. A reviewer of the print in The British Critic suggested that Mary was the daughter of its publisher, John Cooke, but later writers thought her a cousin or a niece. Whatever the case the reviewer was laudatory: 'There is so much merit in the engraving, that we are willing also to bear testimony to the ingenuity of the young artist.'
Exhibition label by Joshua Nall for the exhibition "Craftswomen: Uncovering Hidden Labour in the History of Science" (2022-24).
06/11/2025
Created by: Hannah Price on 06/11/2025
FM:47525
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