Acquired From: Leen Helmink
Colouring: Uncoloured
Condition: Excellent
Confirmed: Yes
Date Acquired: 11/9/2023
Dealers ID No.: 19247
Description: 't Vergulde licht der zee-vaard ofte konst der stuurlieden (translated as The Gilded Light of Seafaring, or The Art of Navigation) is work on the art of navigation. Written by Dutch mathematician Klaas Hendriksz Gietermaker who was employed as examiner for new helmsmen for the Dutch East India Company (VOC), it was part of a long tradition of nautical manuals designed to educate and guide navigators, particularly in the context of the Dutch maritime empire. It was first published in 1660 and stayed in use for almost 150 years. It was revised many times in order to provide the students with the most up-to-date information. Fourteen editions of it are known. The titlepage of the present copy depicts a portrati of Gerard van Keulen, flanked by two godesses and navigation instruments. At the bottom is a room where a navigation class is given. The missing publishing details read "t Amsterdam, bij Gerard van Keulen, gedrukt." (At Amsterdam, printed by Gerard van Keulen.") (see link).nThe second part of the book has elaborate and detailed tables for sinus, tangents, secant and logarithmic tables to greatly facilitate accurate calculations and avoid errors in doing so. That title page is decorated with a naval battle.nAn intriguing Australian connection appears in the books last page, titled "De Son Evenaers Zuyder Breede", translates roughly to "The Suns Equatorial Southern Latitude" or "Southern Latitude of the Suns Equator." This indicates that the page deals with solar positioning and latitude-related tidal calculations, which were crucial for Dutch navigators operating near the equator and in the southern hemisphere. The table includes a tide table between 0 and 12 degrees South latitude. This range notably covers the area around present-day Darwin, as regions further south were deemed insignificant for VOC operations at the time. At the bottom of the page are two colums of text discussing how to use the table.
First published: Gietermaker, Klaas Hendriksz 't Vergulde licht der zee-vaard, ofte konst der stuurlieden Amsterdam: Joannes van Keulen II, 1660
Mapmaker: Gietermaker, Klaas Hendriksz (1621-1699)
Notes: Date purchased
Price: 3,250
Primary Category: Book/Atlas
Purchase Reference: Ledger
Rarity: R2 Very rare – one or two copies appear on the market
References: Margaret E. Schotte (2019), Sailing School: Navigating Science and Skill, 15501800 (Baltimore, MD: John Hopkins University Press, 2019), 118, Fig 4.2. and 131-35
This state: 1757, Expanded version
Website: Click here
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