1798 Bertuch German-language Map of the Moon

A charming c. 1798 hand-colored lunar map included in J.F. Bertuch's Kinderbuch, a popular educational work of the early 19th century. It displays the surface of the moon and includes information on the height of its tallest peaks.

A Closer Look

The near side of the moon is depicted with its poles and equator indicated. Large craters on the surface are numbered, while lunar maria (volcanic plains) are lettered. The tables at bottom display the height of mountain peaks on Earth (in Europe and South America), the Moon, and Venus, measured in toises, with the dashed line showing the point at which the atmosphere becomes relatively dense.

Publication History and Census

This lunar map appeared as Vermischte Gegenst / Melanges XI in J.F. Bertuch's popular Bilderbuch für Kinder: enthaltend eine angenehme Sammlung von Thieren, Pflanzen, Blumen, Früchten, Mineralien, Trachten…, known colloquially as the Kinderbuch, published in multiple volumes and editions between 1795 and 1830. It is not independently cataloged in the holdings of any institution and is scarce to the market, while the entire Kinderbuch is more widely distributed.