1729 / 1781 John Flamsteed Celestial Chart of Constellation Hydra

John Flamsteed (August 19, 1646 - December 31, 1719) was a British astronomer, member of the Royal Society, and was the First Astronomer Royal. He is best known for having compiled his catalog of 3,000 stars, the Catalogus Britannicus, and his star atlas Atlas Coelestis, despite both having been published posthumously. His observations of Uranus were the first to be recorded. He was born the son of a malter, and studied Latin and history until 1662. Prior to his leaving for Cambridge, he studied mathematics and began his interest in astronomy, supplementing his reading of early texts with his own observations and those of fellow enthusiasts. At the age of 19 he would write his first paper on the topic. Having signed up at Cambridge he seems to have spent little time there - soon accepting an invitation to London, where he assisted in assessing proposals for the discovery of the longitude. One result of this was a royal directive to establish an observatory in aid of lunar methods of determining longitude, and in March 1675 Flamsteed was appointed 'The King's Astronomical Observator', the first English Astronomer Royal. He was admitted to the Royal Society in 1676, and lived in the Observatory until 1684. The quality of his calculations was so respected by Isaac Newton and Edmund Halley that they stole and pirated his unreleased observations in 1712. (Their respect of his abilities did not, apparently, extend to their respect for his intellectual property.) He later joined the priesthood and became a village rector, despite retaining his title and duties as Astronomer Royal, until his death. Flamsteed's official version of Historia Coelestis Britannica would not be published until 1725 after his death, edited by his widow, Margaret Flamsteed. In 1729 she published his Atlas Coelestis. More by this mapmaker...

James Mynde (1702 - 1770) was a British engraver. He produced many maps and charts from as early as 1725 and as late as 1768: his work ranged from maps and diagrams to celestial charts (namely, those of John Flamsteed's posthumous celestial atlas.) He was the son of Benjamin and Ann Mynde, who were stationers in Clerkenwell; his father was employed as a bookbinder. In his long career he trained a number of apprentices, including John Gibson. Learn More...