How a famed astronomer paved the way for the Blaeu World Map

January 10, 2020

By Randi Ragsdale

A Q & A with Dr. Bruce Hunt about the Blaeu World Map In recent blog posts, we examined the science behind the Blaeu World Map and took a deep dive into the conservation in progress to prepare the massive 371-year-old map for public display. 

But how did the Nova Totius Terrarum Orbis Tabula (Blaeu World Map) come to be, and what prompted a family of herring merchants to become the leading cartographers, globe makers, printers, and publishers of their age? Who was the Blaeu World Map created for, and was it actually used for navigation?

We recently spoke with The University of Texas at Austin Associate Professor of History Bruce Hunt to find out more about the history of this incredible map.

Looking at the map, there are three world systems there, including the Tychonic world system. I was hoping you could give us some insight into Tycho Brahe and his influence on the Blaeu family.

BRUCE HUNT: Absolutely! Tycho Brahe was a very high-ranking Danish nobleman. His relatives were basically equivalent to the king, and he took a great interest in astronomy. In the 1570s, the king of Denmark at the time rewarded him by making him the feudal lord of the little island of Hven, which is now a part of Sweden. He was there from the late 1570s to the late 1590s. That was the greatest pre-telescopic astronomical observatory in the world, and he made the best observation of the heavens. Willem Blaeu, the father of Joan Blaeu, who made this map, spent about 6 months on this island with Tycho. Continue Reading

The conservation behind the Blaeu World Map

December 20, 2019

By HARRY RANSOM CENTER

In an earlier blog post, we shared the science behind the Blaeu World Map. This week, Kress Paper Conservation Fellow Emily Farek dives into the treatment taking place to help extend the life of this unique 371-year-old wall map created by Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu in 1648.

Over time, this incredible 17th-century map has gone through many changes that have altered its appearance. These alterations reflect its use, ownership, history, and the passing of time. A conservator’s job is to respect all of these changes and ensure that the map will survive for 371 more years, while honoring the intent of the original artists and makers who created the map.

As the Kress Paper Conservation Fellow at the Harry Ransom Center this year, my job is to research and treat this great wall map. I formulated a conservation treatment plan after consulting with T.K. McClintock, a conservator with Studio TKM, Ltd., a private conservation practice that specializes in the treatment of large-scale works on paper. Continue Reading

The science behind the Blaeu World Map

December 11, 2019 

By Randi Ragsdale

A one-of-a-kind 17th-century map housed at the Ransom Center for decades, currently too fragile to display, is now the subject of an intensive research and conservation project that will utilize scientific analysis to reveal the hidden story behind the map’s production and significance.

Created by celebrated Dutch cartographer Joan Blaeu in 1648, the 10′ x 7′ map titled Nova totius terrarum orbis tabula, is commonly known as the Blaeu World Map. This grand map is composed of 21 hand-printed engraved images that show the known geography of the Earth at that time along with images of the zodiac constellations and diagrams of the solar system.  The image has been embellished with hand-applied watercolors and silk ribbon trim.  There is also a ten-sheet letterpress-printed informative text along the bottom edge of the map that describes the nature of various landforms, climates around the globe, and navigational information. The map is lined with what is probably the original fabric. Continue Reading.