travel
Opuscula Iuventutis Mathematica Curiosa...
The first part of this work describes a newly invented instrument of the era: a planisphere illustrated with a plate. A planisphere is a star chart analog computing instrument in the form of two adjustable disks that rotate on a common pivot. It can be adjusted to display the visible stars for any time and date. It is an instrument to assist in learning how to recognize stars and constellations. The astrolabe, an instrument that has its origins in the Hellenistic civilization, is a predecessor of the modern planisphere.
A Narrative of Travels in Northern Africa
The 17 hand-colored prints of early-19th century Northern and Western Africans are not only elegant, but are also valuable historical documents on clothing, headgear, jewelry, and weaponry of that era. The image shown here, "Camel conveying a bride to her husband," (opposite page 299) is one of the most dramatic, but all provide a wealth of information for the historian and art historian alike.
A Treatise on Diamonds and Precious Stones
John Mawe (1766-1829) first set out on a career at sea, but after the merchant ship he was in foundered on a reef near Mozambique, he concluded that a sea-faring life was too hazardous and turned to selling the shells, minerals, and other natural-history specimens that he had begun collecting in his travels. He became one of the leading dealers in the booming trade of specimens for curiosity cabinets and scholarly collections throughout Europe.
Beretning om Corvetten Galathea's Reise Omkring Jorden 1845, 46 og 47
The Galathea expedition was Denmark's first circumnavigation, carrying naturalists and artists who collected plants, animals, and ethnographic artifacts along a route that included India, the Nicobar Islands, Java, China, Hawaii, and several parts of South America. This official account by the captain, Steen Bille (1797-1883), held by fewer than 10 libraries in the U.S., is of particular interest to curators who work on Hawaiian material in the National Museum of Natural History's departments of Botany, Vertebrate Zoology, and Anthropology.
Four Years in a Government Exploring Expedition
Naval officer George Colvocoresses took part in the U.S. Exploring Expedition, 1838-42, and published this account of it based on a journal which he kept. The text covers the entire itinerary of the voyage, describing the lands and peoples visited and a variety of scientific matters; the 19 illustrations include botanical and zoological subjects and scenes of the west coast of North America. Of particular interest is Colvocoresses' participation in the overland leg of the expedition in the Pacific Northwest and California. The U.S.
