Antwerp, heirs of Arnold Birckmann, 1564.

Large woodcut of a globe on title-page, woodcut diagrams with moveable parts on verso of f. 8 and on recto of ff. 11, 28 and 49; folding woodcut map of the world formed of two joined leaves inserted between ff. 30 and 31, two other circular volvelles of the globe at verso of f. 9, numerous woodcut plans and illustrations including one full-page cut of an astrolabe.

4to. [2], 64, [2]ff. Contemporary vellum, contemporary geometrical diagrams drawn on covers/

The important edition of Gemma Frisius of this very influential text of geography and astronomy which went through many editions and was translated into all major European languages. Apian's work was based on Ptolemy and first appeared in 1524, and was then greatly expanded by Gemma Frisius, an instrument maker and colleague of Mercator. Frisius included much more astronomical content and added volvelles for the determining the altitude of the poles, longitude, the meridian and times of day depending on season. In the section Libellus de locorum describendorum ratione, he was the first to propose the principles of triangulation as a means of carefully locating places and accurately mapping areas (see: Dictionary of Scientific Biography ).

One of the volvelles (f. 28) shows a map of the world including America, while there is a chapter on the founding of America (f. 30); according to the text the discovery was by Amerigo Vespucci in 1497 "ex mandato regis Castiliae", and it was called a "novus mundus".

The world map is a close copy of that…

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