"Hemisphere Austral", Flamsteed/Fortin

This plate features the southern sky displaying the constellations in allegorical form. The chart was published in Jean Fortin's reprint of John Flamsteed's important celestial atlas. Flamsteed (1646-1719) was the first Astronomer Royal of Great Britain, and his atlas featured 30 of the most accurate and detailed star charts of its era. The original edition, being expensive, unwieldy, and not aesthetically pleasing, was reprinted and reduced in size by Fortin in 1776 using Flamsteed's original plates. This smaller, more affordable issue soon became the standard as numerous improvements were made including the addition of new constellations and more nebulae.

References: Warner pp. 84-85.

Condition: B+

There is a streak of soiling at top right, minor foxing mostly confined to the blank margins, and small damp stains in the top corners of the sheet.