Navigations of the English Nation,” showcased England’s maritime achievements. The Earth is essentially a sphere, or more accurately an oblate spheroid, indicating its slight flattening at the poles and bulging at the equator. While these minor deviations from a perfect sphere are negligible, the Earth is commonly perceived as a sphere in daily contexts. Mathematically, flattening a sphere’s surface without causing distortion is not feasible. Two-dimensional maps depicting the Earth’s surface employ various projections, each resulting in some form of distortion. The most recognized map projection, the Mercator Projection, named after the Flemish cartographer Gerard Mercator (1512–1594), distorts spatial dimensions, exaggerating land areas farther from the equator. For instance, Greenland, with an area of 2,166,086 km², appears larger than Africa, which is significantly larger at 30,370,000 km², prompting discussions regarding the appropriateness of the Mercator Projection, with some erroneously asserting it was intended to symbolize European dominance.
The Ancient Greeks acknowledged the Earth as a sphere and comprehended the complexities involved in map projections. In around 150 CE, Ptolemaeus authored “Geographike Hyphegesis,” the premier cartography volume before the Early Modern Era, elaborating on three different map projections and positing that globes are the sole accurate representation of the Earth’s surface.
No terrestrial globes from ancient times have been preserved, yet a multitude of Islamic celestial globes exist, with no known terrestrial counterparts. The earliest surviving terrestrial globe is the Behaim Globe or Erdapfel, devised in Nürnberg by Martin Behaim (1459–1507). Designed by Hans Glockengiesser and Ruprecht Kolberger, the globe’s map was adorned by Georg Glockendon, with the lettering executed by Petrus Gegenhart. Before this, all documented globes were singular manuscript creations. The advent of printing in the fifteenth century revolutionized globe manufacturing.
Martin Waldseemuller produced the earliest documented printed globes, drawing from his 1507 world map, the first to reference America. Although none of these globes exist today, four sets of globe gores remain. Mass production of printed globes commenced with Johannes Schöner (1477–1547) in 1515. He crafted a terrestrial globe based on Waldseemüller’s map and a celestial globe in 1517, establishing the model for paired terrestrial and celestial globes. Schöner created an additional pair in 1533/34.
Schöner, who thrived in globe creation, has only a few notable works that survived, while Georg Hartmann (1489–1564), who marketed Schöner’s globes, also produced globes, none of which are known to have survived. Both Waldseemüller and Schöner’s globes were accompanied by a cosmographia, which served as a guide containing usage guidance and supplementary geographical and historical information. In Louvain, an innovative publisher reprinted Schöner’s cosmographia and commissioned Gemma Frisius to replicate Schöner’s globe. Frisius became a globe maker, along with his former student Gerard Mercator, who emerged as the most esteemed globe maker in Europe.
England was without globe makers until 1547, when John Dee acquired Mercator’s globes after studying under Frisius and Mercator in Louvain. The production of globes in England only commenced four decades later with Emery Molyneux. Despite Molyneux’s relatively obscure background, he gained recognition as a mathematician and instrument maker, connecting with prominent figures like Richard Hakluyt, explorers, and mathematicians such as Edward Wright and Robert Hues. Molyneux may have sailed with Francis Drake, which is reflected in Richard Polter’s commendation of his abilities.
Molyneux and Wright envisioned producing globes that highlighted England’s maritime strength, likely with the patronage of John Davis’ supporter, William Sanderson, a wealthy merchant in London. Early explorations initiated by England were commercial ventures aimed at uncovering profitable trading routes, backed by financiers like Sanderson. Sanderson was the primary backer of Davis’ Northwest passage expedition and financially supported Walter Raleigh. Initially, Sanderson contributed £1,000—roughly equivalent to over £170,000 in 2017—toward the globe project.
Molyneux’s international connections facilitated the initial development of his terrestrial globe, utilizing data gleaned from explorers and navigational manuals. Edward Wright played a crucial role in coastline mapping and Latin translations. The globe depicted the circumnavigations of Drake and Cavendish. Jodocus Hondius, a Flemish engraver and printer, executed and printed the maps after relocating to London due to religious persecution in Flanders.
Molyneux’s celestial globe emulated Mercator’s design from 1551, incorporating the Southern Cross and Southern Triangle constellations from Andrea Corsali’s 1551 Antarctic diagram. Molyneux’s globes were publicized by Richard Hakluyt in “The Principall Navigations, Voiages and Explorations of the English Nation,” exhibiting England’s maritime accomplishments.