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This is a beautiful 18th-century copperplate engraving of "A New Planetarium" designed by Benjamin Martin (signed B. Martin at the bottom).
It illustrates the Ptolemaic System, a geocentric model where the Earth remains at the center while the Sun and other celestial bodies revolve around it.
Technical Details & Features:
• Artist/Maker: Benjamin Martin (1704–1782), a renowned British lexicographer and scientific instrument maker. He was famous for his "General Magazine of Arts and Sciences" and for popularizing Newtonian science.
• Visual Elements:
• The Model: A tabletop planetarium (or orrery) supported by a classic tripod cabriole-leg stand.
• The Earth: Positioned centrally on a vertical axis, showing lines of latitude and longitude.
• The Horizon Circle: Features a calendar (months like March, April, May) and the corresponding zodiac signs along the outer rim.
• Celestial Bodies: Thin metal arms support the Sun and various planets/moons, showing their relative positions in the Ptolemaic hierarchy.
• Plate Markings: "Plate II" is noted in the upper right corner, indicating this was part of a larger scientific publication or encyclopedia.
Condition & Aesthetic:
The print shows a clean, sharp impression on laid paper. There is some minor "foxing" or age-toning visible, which is typical and often desirable for ephemera from this period (likely mid-to-late 1700s).
Matted
