"Constellations in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres" by John Lodge

"Constellations in the Northern & Southern Hemispheres" by John Lodge

C.1795

Engraving

This copperplate engraving, titled "Constellations in the Northern & Southern Hemispheres," was published circa 1791 in London by the British printer and engraver Charles Cooke. The print features a double-hemisphere layout that divides the night sky into two large circular celestial maps labeled as Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The upper diagram illustrates the northern sky with packed outlines of figures like Ursa Major and Pegasus, while the lower circle traces the southern sky including constellations like Scorpio and Hydra. Fine, crisp black outline engravings depict the classical mythological forms superimposed directly over a web of longitude and latitude coordinate lines.

Historical Context and Importance:

This sheet was originally produced as a specialized plate for an late 18th-century universal reference work to accompany an encyclopedic text section on astronomy. Charles Cooke was a prominent London publisher famed for creating affordable, highly illustrated serial volumes that brought literature and scientific knowledge to the growing British middle class. This print holds considerable historical importance because it documents the transition of advanced astronomy into a mass-market educational subject. By organizing both celestial halves into a clean, comparative single-page format, the print allowed students to visually grasp global sky patterns without relying on costly three-dimensional globes or oversized scientific folios.

Dimensions: H 15 1/2" x 8 1/2" W

Condition: Tide marks and toning with age