{"product_id":"an-improved-planetarium-by-john-lodge","title":"An Improved Planetarium by John Lodge","description":"\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"An Improved Planetarium\" by John Lodge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eC.1780\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEngraving\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis copperplate engraving is an astronomical print from circa \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1788\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e featuring two distinct models of mechanical solar system simulators, engraved by the British printmaker \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJohn Lodge\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The upper illustration is titled \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"An Improved Planetarium, Tellurian and Lunarium,\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e showcasing a geared desktop device designed to track the precise orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and Jupiter around a central sun. The lower, larger illustration depicts the famous \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\"Rowleys Orrery,\"\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e a monumental, dodecahedral mechanical model encased in an ornate wooden base, wrapped with movable coordinate rings and calendar rings labeled for months and signs of the zodiac. Rendered with clean, technical line work and delicate cross-hatching, the print neatly details the handles, gears, and planetary rods that allowed educators to hand-crank the cosmos into motion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOriginally designed by master instrument maker John Rowley in 1712 for Charles Boyle, the 4th Earl of Orrery, this type of mechanism forever changed how Enlightenment-era Europeans conceptualized the universe. John Lodge, an active 18th-century London engraver known for his work in major British periodicals, produced this plate to popularize scientific innovations among general readers and students. This engraving holds immense historical importance because it documents a crucial shift in science education where abstract Newtonian mathematics were transformed into tactile, mechanical visual aids. By making the heliocentric model physically demonstrable, publications like this helped dismantle geocentric biases and fostered widespread public literacy in astronomy across the English-speaking world.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eH 15 ½” x 10”W\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp dir=\"ltr\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCondition: Slight rip on bottom right corner\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":54191554625815,"sku":"PR0216-1","price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0668\/3607\/0679\/files\/PR0216-1.1.jpg?v=1784578080","url":"https:\/\/antonioraimogallery.com\/products\/an-improved-planetarium-by-john-lodge","provider":"ANTONIO RAIMO GALLERY","version":"1.0","type":"link"}