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1710 Funck / Homann Table of Distances in Europe
CurioserStattZeiger-homann-1710$350.00
Title
Poliometria Germaniae ac Finitmorum Quorundam Locorum Europae. Curioser Stätt-Zeiger der vornemsten ort in Teutschland, auch einige der berühmtisten Stätt in Europa, wie weit solche von-einander entlegen...
1710 (undated) 20.5 x 23.25 in (52.07 x 59.055 cm)
1710 (undated) 20.5 x 23.25 in (52.07 x 59.055 cm)
Description
This is a c. 1710 Johann Baptist Homann table of distances, prepared for his Neuer Atlas. As the title and text in the cartouche indicate, the table provides distances between many German cities and major cities outside the German-speaking lands.
A Closer Look
A fascinating early modern infographic, this table of distances includes dozens of European cities, mostly in the territories of the Holy Roman Empire, but also including relatively far-flung locations such as Stockholm, Riga, Rome, London, Lisbon, Malta, Bethlehem, Damascus, and Jerusalem. Color-shading breaks up the cities into blocks, making them more easily distinguishable and the table more readable. A decorative cartouche surrounded by cherubs and allegorical figures includes German text explaining how to use the table, giving the distance between Nurnberg (or Nuremberg, Homann's hometown) and Venice as an example. Aside from its practical applications, the table reflects increased mobility within Europe, driven by economics and improved roads.Publication History and Census
This table was prepared by Johann Baptist Homann and lists David Funck as the publisher. It likely appeared in the 1710 edition of Homann's Neuer Atlas, but the inclusion of Funck, under whom Homann apprenticed, suggests that it was prepared earlier. Perhaps for this reason, this sheet is dated between 1682 and 1710 in institutional collections. The table must have been considered useful and desirable, as it was later embellished with slightly modified titles by Homann Heirs, Seutter, and Lotter, who added more cities and illustrations. It was still being included in atlases at the end of the century, namely Johann Wilhelm Jaeger's 1789 Grand Atlas d'Allemagne (Rumsey 15954.085).CartographerS
Johann Baptist Homann (March 20, 1664 - July 1, 1724) was the most prominent and prolific map publisher of the 18th century. Homann was born in Oberkammlach, a small town near Kammlach, Bavaria, Germany. As a young man, Homann studied in a Jesuit school and nursed ambitions of becoming a Dominican priest. Nonetheless, he converted to Protestantism in 1687, when he was 23. It is not clear where he mastered engraving, but we believe it may have been in Amsterdam. Homann's earliest work we have identified is about 1689, and already exhibits a high degree of mastery. Around 1691, Homann moved to Nuremberg and registered as a notary. By this time, he was already making maps, and very good ones at that. He produced a map of the environs of Nürnberg in 1691/92, which suggests he was already a master engraver. Around 1693, Homann briefly relocated to Vienna, where he lived and studied printing and copper plate engraving until 1695. Until 1702, he worked in Nuremberg in the map trade under Jacob von Sandrart (1630 - 1708) and then David Funck (1642 - 1709). Afterward, he returned to Nuremberg, where, in 1702, he founded the commercial publishing firm that would bear his name. In the next five years, Homann produced hundreds of maps and developed a distinctive style characterized by heavy, detailed engraving, elaborate allegorical cartouche work, and vivid hand color. Due to the lower cost of printing in Germany, the Homann firm could undercut the dominant French and Dutch publishing houses while matching their diversity and quality. Despite copious output, Homann did not release his first major atlas until the 33-map Neuer Atlas of 1707, followed by a 60-map edition of 1710. By 1715, Homann's rising star caught the attention of the Holy Roman Emperor Charles VI, who appointed him Imperial Cartographer. In the same year, he was also appointed a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences in Berlin. Homann's prestigious title came with several significant advantages, including access to the most up-to-date cartographic information as well as the 'Privilege'. The Privilege was a type of early copyright offered to very few by the Holy Roman Emperor. Though less sophisticated than modern copyright legislation, the Privilege offered limited protection for several years. Most all J. B. Homann maps printed between 1715 and 1730 bear the inscription 'Cum Priviligio' or some variation. Following Homann's death in 1724, the firm's map plates and management passed to his son, Johann Christoph Homann (1703 - 1730). J. C. Homann, perhaps realizing that he would not long survive his father, stipulated in his will that the company would be inherited by his two head managers, Johann Georg Ebersberger (1695 - 1760) and Johann Michael Franz (1700 - 1761), and that it would publish only under the name 'Homann Heirs'. This designation, in various forms (Homannsche Heirs, Heritiers de Homann, Lat Homannianos Herod, Homannschen Erben, etc.) appears on maps from about 1731 onwards. The firm continued to publish maps in ever-diminishing quantities until the death of its last owner, Christoph Franz Fembo (1781 - 1848). More by this mapmaker...
David Funck (1642 – 1709), also known as D. Funcken, was a Nuremberg book publisher, cartographer, and engraver. In 1679. he took control of the publishing house of Jacob von Sandrart to whose daughter, Magdalena Christina, he was married. Funck distributed books and prints to Frankfurt am Main and Leipzig from 1708. Johann Baptist Homann apprenticed under Funck until 1702. Learn More...
Source
Homann, J. B., Neuer Atlas bestehend in einig curieusen Astronomischen Kuppren und vielen auserlesenen accuratensten Land-Charten über die Gantze Welt, (Nuremberg: Homann) 1710.
Homann's Neuer Atlas bestehend in einig curieusen Astronomischen Kuppren und vielen auserlesenen accuratensten Land-Charten über die Gantze Welt was first publihsed in 1707 with 33 maps. A second edition followed in 1710 with 60 maps. Subsequent editions followed until about 1730. The title page notes proudly that the atlas features measurements based on the 'Copernican principle of the moving sky', a truly state-of-the-art innovation for the period. Regardless of editions, collations of the atlas are inconsistent, with some examples having less, while others have more maps - a consequence of the fact that the map sheets were delivered loose, to be bound at the buyer's discretion, and so some buyers chose to omit maps they did not consider relevant, or add others they did. Between editions, the constituent maps, particularly of European regions, were regularly updated to reflect the most recent political events. The atlas continued to be published by Homann's son, J. C. Homann (1703 - 1730), and then by Homann Heirs. Most examples also feature a fine allegorical frontispiece with the title Atlas Novus Terrarum Orbis Imperia, regna et Status, which was used for multiple Homann atlases, including the Neuer Atlas and the Atlas Minor.
Condition
Very good. Slight margin soiling. Minor centerfold split, stabilized on verso, limited to margin. Laid down contemporaneous paper, likely by 18th century binder.