JF Ptak Science Books // Blog Bookstore: Gorgeous Gearworks--a Model of the Solar System, 1817

Rare, scarce, interesting, and unusual books for sale, mostly in the history of physics, math, and technology. The bookstore site is part of a larger daily blog for the History of Holes, Dots, Lines, Science, History, Math, the Unintentional Absurd & Nothing |1.8 million words, 7000 images, 4.6 million hits, and 4600+ posts over 11 years| Press & appearances in The Times, Mensa, Le Figaro, The Economist, The Guardian, Discovery News, Slate, Le Monde, Sci American Blogs, Le Point, and many other places...

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Gorgeous Gearworks--a Model of the Solar System, 1817

JF Ptak Science Books

This is the heart of the beautiful orrery created by William Pearson (1767-1847. and one of the founders of the Royal Astronomical Society) as found in the magisterial if not occasionally problematic Cyclopedia of Abraham Rees (1743-1825). It was published in 1817 and features the main gearing for a mechanical display of the functioning of the Solar System:

This is the detail from the following, full-length version, which is 8"x10"--so there's a fair amount of detail in a limited field:

"Planetary Machines, the New Planetarium for Equated Motions by Dr. Pearson". London, for Rees' Cyclopedia, 1817; 8x10". Fine. A little closely trimmed at top. $100

And the beautiful Dadaist detail of Jupiter and Saturn:

The original print is available from the blog's bookstore, here.

Posted by John F. Ptak in Astronomy, Technology, History of | Permalink

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