Tools of a Scientist, ca. 1700

JF Ptak Science Books 

(Copperlateplate) engraving, Johan Friedlein, ca. 1700.  7x5 inches.  Fair condition, with numerous tears and missing bits from the margins; one tear extends 1/4 inch into printed area.  Scarce.  $450

This is an image of a  philosopher's cabinet, engraving (on copper?) by "I. Friedlein fec", who was actually Johnann Friedlein, an emigree from North Germany to Denmark, and who worked ca. 1680-1705. It shows the tools of the trade for someone working in natural philosophy (the name "scientist" would not come into use for another 150+ years or so) and is an interesting insight into a small, polite gentleman's club for experiment and investigation.

The men surround a decent collection of scientific instruments--I can locate a compass, dividers, oil lamp, magnifying glass, compass, microscope  (at the right elbow of the figure on the right), terrestrial and celestial globes,  a (large) clock, barometer and various weights and scales.  And behind it all looms a fairly large refracting telescope (is it 6 six inches?) which also has mounted alongside of it a smaller sighting telescope. 

 

Here's another example of Friedlein's  work, a frontispiece to Cryptographia, oder geheime Schrifften by Johann Balthasar Friderici, printed in 1685:

Nyt dansk kunstnerlexikon: bd. Indenlandske kunstnere (fortsættelse ...)by Philip Weilbach: