Accession No

1287

Brief Description

13 engravings illustrating Tycho Brahe’s observatory, attributed to Johannes Blaeu, Dutch, c. 1664

Origin

Netherlands; Amsterdam

Maker

Blaeu, Johannes [attributed]

Class

prints; astronomy

Earliest Date

1664

Latest Date

1664

Inscription Date

Material

paper (card and one other)

Dimensions

1287.7 height 454mm; breadth 290mm; 1287.5 height 461mm; breadth 288mm; 1287.3 height 505mm; breadth 634mm; 1287.4 height 414mm; breadth 524mm; 1287.6 height 429mm; breadth 282mm; 1287.1 height 515mm; breadth 646mm; 1287.2 height 465mm; breadth 552mm 1287.12 breadth 407mm; height 560mm (mounted) 1287.9 breadth 409mm; height 559mm (mounted) 1287.11 breadth 407mm; height 560mm (mounted) 1287.10 breadth 408mm; height 560mm (mounted) 1287.8 armillary sphere breadth 407mm; height 560mm (mounted) 1287.13 breadth 408mm; height 560mm (mounted)

Special Collection

Provenance

Inscription

‘Amstelædami, Joannes Blaeu excudebat.’ (1287.3)
see also description notes

Description Notes

13 hand coloured line engravings of plans and views of Tycho’s observatory at Uraniborg and engravings of the instruments. All engravings hand-coloured. Probably taken from Johannes Blaeu’s Atlas of 1664, in turn probably drawn from Tycho Brahe’s Astronomiae Instauratae Mechanica of 1598).
1287.7 two figures: first one titled “Instrvmentvm Parallaticvm, sive Regvlae Ptolemaicae Nic. Copernici” (the Ptolemaic rulers owned by Copernicus); the second “Instrvmentvm Parallaticvm Tychonis Brahe” (Tycho’s version of the Ptolemaic rulers). [Page number 24 of the Atlas]
1287.5 “Qvadrans Magnus Chalibeus in Quadrato etiam chalibeo compræhensus, unaque Azimuthalis” (great quadrant set in quadrat, moving on azimuth mount). [Page number 41 of the Atlas]
1287.3 “Stellæburgum sive Observatorium Subterranevm, A Tychone Brahe Nobili Dano in Insula Hvæna, Extra Arcem Uraniam, Extrvctvm circa annvm M D LXXX IIII” (‘Star castle’ or underground observatory of Tycho Brahe, the Noble Dane, on the Island of Hven...constructed c.1584); shows sextant in use in one corner. [Page numbers 31 and 32 of the Atlas]
1287.4 “Ichnographia Præcipvæ Domvs Arcis Vranibvrgi in Insula Porthmi Danici Venusia, vulgo Huenna, Astronomiæ instaurandæ gratia, circa annum MDLXXX, à Tychone Brahe exædificatæ” (plan of Uraniborg) [page number 20 of the Atlas]
1287.6 “Armillae Aeqvatoriae” (equatorial armillary sphere) [page number 23 of the Atlas]
1287.1 “Arcis Vranibvrgi, a Tychone Brahe, Dño de Knvdstrvp, in Insula Hellesponti Danici Hvenna Constructæ, quo ad Totam Capacitatem, Designatio” (engraving of the observatory at Uraniborg including the grounds of the main building) [page number 18 of the Atlas]
1287.2 “Orthographia Præcipvæ Domvs Arcis Vranibvrgi in Insula Porthmi Danici Venusia, Vulgo Huenna, Astronomiæ instaurandæ gratia, circa annum MDLXXX à Tychone Brahe exædificatæ” (elevetation of the main dome of Uraniborg) [page number 19 of the Atlas]
These seven kept in a card folder with “ Observatory of Tycho Brahe. Portfolio of 13 plates, from (?) Blaeu’s General Atlas Amsterdam 1664” written on the front.
1287.8 “Armillæ Æquatoriæ” (equatorial rings) [page number 27 of the Atlas]
1287.10 “Armillæ Æquatoriæ Maximæ sesqvialtero constantes circulo” (great equatorial ring) [no page number given]
1287.11 “Qvadrans Volubilis Azimuthalis” (quadrant on azimuth mount) [page number 45 of the Atlas]
1287.12 “Sextans Astronomicus Trigonicus pro Distantiis Rimandis” (astronomical sextant) [page number 39 of the Atlas]
1287.13 “Effigies Tychonicas Brahe O.F. Edificii et Instrumentorum Astronomicorum Structoris. Ao. Domini 1587, ætatis suæ 40.” (the great mural quadrant) [page number 28 of the Atlas]
1287.9 “Sextans Astronomicus prout Altitudinibus inservit” (astronomical sextant) [page number 21]

Condition good; complete

References

Events