Celestial maps - Bevis, John
£2,000
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photographs
Auction: 28 January 2015 at 11:00 GMT
Description
4 celestial maps from John Bevis's Uranographia Britannica, comprising: Table IX (Cygnus & Vulpecula); Table XIX (Pegasus); Table XXVII (Virgo); Table XXXIV (Cetus), each c.50x38cm, probably around 1749, later? hand-colouring (4)
Footnote
Note: Dr John Bevis, 1695-1771, was a physician and astronomer, probably best known as the discoverer of the Crab Nebula. In 1738, Bevis commenced work on his impressive star atlas, the Uranographia Britannica, which was intended for publication in 1750. Unfortunately, before the project could be completed, the publisher John Neale was faced with bankruptcy. Instead, impressions were taken from the printing plates which had already been created and compiled into composite volumes, often known as the Atlas Celeste. Around 17 of these atlases, with 51 plates each, are known to exist.