Description

SWINDEN (van Jan Hendrik), Description of the Rijks-Planetarium in Franeker from 1773 to 1780, published and revised by, Schoonhoven, van Nooten, 1851
8vo of VIII, 164 pages and a very large folded plate; modern half-black cloth with corners.
Third edition, expanded, the last early edition, of the illustrated description of the oldest planetarium in the world still in operation, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. “Located in a modest house in the historic center of Franeker, the Koninklijk Eise Eisinga Planetarium (Royal Eise Eisinga Planetarium) is the oldest continuously operating planetarium (or orrery) in the world. Built between 1774 and 1781, this functional and accurate model of our solar system offers a current and realistic representation of the positions of the Sun, the Moon, the Earth, and the five other planets known at the time (Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn).
Designed and built largely by an ordinary citizen—the wool carder Eise Eisinga—the planetarium’s mechanism is ingeniously embedded in the ceiling and wall of the fold-out bed in the living room. These solutions made it possible to build a large orrery and to use the room below as a reception and presentation area, as in modern planetariums. To this day, it is open to the public and serves as an educational center dedicated to astronomy.
The fact that the The fact that the mechanism still works is a testament to the ingenuity and foresight of its creator, who left detailed instructions for its maintenance.” (UNESCO website).
A first edition appeared in 1780, then a second in 1824, and finally the last one from 1851, expanded by Eekhoff with a life of Eisiga and a description of his orrery.
The portrait has been replaced. A postcard dated 1920 showing the facade of Eisiga’s residence is attached.