I was in Amsterdam last weekend and had a spare hour to visit Hetscheepvaartmuseum, the Maritime Museum.
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My two primary aims were to visit the Globe and Navigation sections, but I'm always happy to wander around other exhibits in a museum like this. It is a beautiful building, both externally and inside.
The globe gallery was awesome.
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Over 70 globes from large 68cm diameter ones to wee babes, pocket sized 6.75cm diameter. There was understandably a good selection by the 17th century Johan Blaeu from Amsterdam. This pocket one was by Joseph Moxon from London.
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Obviously there were not just terrestrial globes but celestial (navispheres) too. This 23cm diameter one is by a French naval officer.
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A planetarium.
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A Telluruium, showing the movement of the earth around the sun.
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I then visited the Navigational Instruments section.
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These tobacco boxes have carvings on the lid to held calculate the speed of the ship.
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Sextants galore.
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A semi automatic sextant?
Chronometer.
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Plumb line anyone?
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And a compass.
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I wandered out to the rigged ship, the Amsterdam, which is a replica of a VOC, Dutch East India Company, vessel which ran aground in the Channel in 1749.
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I could have stayed here all day.
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Messy chart cabinet.
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And a more modern variant, back inside the main museum.
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And I even found a geo bag to buy.
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A fun hour or so. A few more photos here.
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My two primary aims were to visit the Globe and Navigation sections, but I'm always happy to wander around other exhibits in a museum like this. It is a beautiful building, both externally and inside.
The globe gallery was awesome.
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Over 70 globes from large 68cm diameter ones to wee babes, pocket sized 6.75cm diameter. There was understandably a good selection by the 17th century Johan Blaeu from Amsterdam. This pocket one was by Joseph Moxon from London.
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Obviously there were not just terrestrial globes but celestial (navispheres) too. This 23cm diameter one is by a French naval officer.
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A planetarium.
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A Telluruium, showing the movement of the earth around the sun.
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I then visited the Navigational Instruments section.
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These tobacco boxes have carvings on the lid to held calculate the speed of the ship.
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Sextants galore.
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A semi automatic sextant?
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Chronometer.
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Plumb line anyone?
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And a compass.
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I wandered out to the rigged ship, the Amsterdam, which is a replica of a VOC, Dutch East India Company, vessel which ran aground in the Channel in 1749.
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I could have stayed here all day.
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Messy chart cabinet.
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And a more modern variant, back inside the main museum.
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And I even found a geo bag to buy.
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