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Lot Essay
A fine pair of table globes. Gerard Valk, or Gerrit Leendertsz Valck (1652-1726), together with his son Leonard, were the only significant publishers of globes in the Netherlands in the 18th century, enjoying an almost total monopoly in the first half of the 1700s. Initially an engraver and art dealer, and having worked for map-sellers Christopher Browne and David Loggan in London between 1672 and 1679, Valk established the firm in Amsterdam in 1687. Initially they published maps and atlases, but in 1700 the company moved the shop to the building previously occupied by map and globe-maker Jodocus Hondius. In 1701, he applied for a charter for making globes and the 'Planetolabium', designed by Lotharius Zumbach de Coesfelt (1661-1727), an astronomy lecturer at Leiden University. The Valks produced several editions of 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 and 24-inch diameter terrestrial and celestial globes. In 1748 a pair of the 12-inch globes were advertised at a cost of 33 guilders.
Around 1711, when he became a member of the booksellers guild, Leonard Valk (1675-1746), came into partnership and his name started to appear alongside that of his father on the cartouches of the globes, although of the earliest of these, both terrestrial and celestial, still bear the date 1700. Leonard naturally took over the business on his father's death in 1726, and following his own death in 1746, the firm was run by Maria Valk, cousin and wife to Gerard and sister of Petrus. The late 18th century saw a number of successful reissues by publisher Cornelis Covens (1764-1825).
The cartography of the terrestrial globe was based on a world map by Jean-Dominique Cassini, the Planisphere Terrestre, published by Jean-Baptiste Nolin in Paris in 1696 (and contained the same erroneous drawing of three, rather than five, Great Lakes in Canada). The celestial cartography, as stated on the cartouche, is based closely on the celestial atlas Uranographia, published in 1687 by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687) who was notable for being the last great astronomer to conduct his work without the use of a telescope. Hevelius was also notable for designing his celestial maps with globes in mind, and as such they were easily transferred onto spheres.
Around 1711, when he became a member of the booksellers guild, Leonard Valk (1675-1746), came into partnership and his name started to appear alongside that of his father on the cartouches of the globes, although of the earliest of these, both terrestrial and celestial, still bear the date 1700. Leonard naturally took over the business on his father's death in 1726, and following his own death in 1746, the firm was run by Maria Valk, cousin and wife to Gerard and sister of Petrus. The late 18th century saw a number of successful reissues by publisher Cornelis Covens (1764-1825).
The cartography of the terrestrial globe was based on a world map by Jean-Dominique Cassini, the Planisphere Terrestre, published by Jean-Baptiste Nolin in Paris in 1696 (and contained the same erroneous drawing of three, rather than five, Great Lakes in Canada). The celestial cartography, as stated on the cartouche, is based closely on the celestial atlas Uranographia, published in 1687 by Polish astronomer Johannes Hevelius (1611-1687) who was notable for being the last great astronomer to conduct his work without the use of a telescope. Hevelius was also notable for designing his celestial maps with globes in mind, and as such they were easily transferred onto spheres.