What is it about?
It shows the watermarks present in the text and map pages of the different Rome editions of Ptolemy's Cosmography so one can distinguish the different editions and the article tells a bit more about the 4 different editions.
Featured Image
Why is it important?
Up till now one could not distinguish the maps from the different edtions. With the help of this article now for the first time in history it is possible to recognize the maps from each edition. Furthermore one thought up till now that the title and year on the binding tells you what you can find in the atlas. The information given about the 1507 and 1508 atlasses shows this is not true for these two editions. Sets of maps printed in 1508 can be found bound in to a 1507 as well as a 1508 binding and maps printed in 1507 can be found bound in to a 1508 as well as a 1507 binding. Now the year of printing of the maps can be recognized by the watermarks present in the maps.
Perspectives
This article ends discussions on websites of map dealers about the date of print/production of maps from the Rome editions of Ptolemy's Cosmography. It may be of influence on prices asked for and buyers can now check themselves what exactly they are buying. With regard to science the article shows how watermarks can be used in research about maps and atlases and how they help in finding answers to centuries-long unanswered questions and ongoing discussions. The same research method can be applied to other incunable map sand atlases or much younger maps and atlases. Furthermore it provides information about and insight into the production process and can for example help determine the number of printed copies.
Dr Robert Peerlings
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The Watermarks in the Rome Editions of Ptolemy’s Cosmography and More, Quaerendo, December 2017, Brill,
DOI: 10.1163/15700690-12341392.
You can read the full text:
Resources
Contributors
The following have contributed to this page
