Early Machine Technology

"Because art is able to defeat man in those
things in which man is defeated by nature"
[H Zeising]

'Theatri Machinarum..' (?1612-1614) by Heinrich Zeising is available from the Kinematic Models for Design Digital Library at Cornell University. The site has had a redesign since I last visited and now includes an "open collection of mechanical models and related resources for studying and teaching the principles of kinematics" wikipage.

Little is known about Zeising. His 'Theatri Machinarum' belongs to the tradition of technical machine manuals (known as the 'Theatre of Machines') published in the 16th to 18th centuries. At least part of this book was copied/modified from earlier works by Besson, Zonca and Ramelli which in turn were influenced by classic publications by Agricola and Vitruvius.

The engravings in Zeising's work (by Andreas Bretschneider and the publisher Henning Grosse, with some after designs by Zeising himself) do not have the same artistic quality as those in the earlier machine manuals. However, this reduced the printing costs, and, as Zeising included more in the way of explanatory text, he played a significant role in circulating and promoting the technological designs of the Renaissance - at times a little fanciful but always inspirational - in Germany. His manual includes engineering designs for book presses, water wheels, fountains, complex rope and pulley systems for many weight lifting systems, mobile bridges and rampart scaling devices, among others.

• The machine posts in the archives display many examples from the major architecture - engineer - fortifications specialists that contributed to the 'Theatre of Machines' genre, together with many background reading links.
• There are precious few references to Zeising online. See: one, two, three and, most significantly, George Goodall's posts mentioning Zeisging.
• George's 'Diffusion of the Theatrum Machinarum' machine gallery at Facetation.
• UPDATE: (July '09): HAB have uploaded what appear to be two sections of 'Theatri Machinarum' (probably 2 from the 6 George mentions in the comments below). The Cornell version is better image quality, although I have not had a close look at these new books: ONE, TWO
  

Artillery Firepower

Cod.icon. 232 -- 'Kunst- und Artillerie-Buch' -- is available from the Bavarian State Library in Munich (click 'Miniaturansicht' for thumbnail views). I suppose half or more of the illustrated pages appear above [slightly spot-cleaned].

This folio manuscript was produced prior to 1622 and is attributed to Hans Georg Schirvatt. It may possibly have been made in Prague (it bears their Coat of Arms). The very small amount of background information suggests that it was an expensive work because gold highlighting was employed in some of the illustrations (or so they say: I can't see it).

The manuscript features some decidedly evil weaponry - shrapnel-filled grenades, grenade spears, bee-swarm baskets, barbed bombs and vessels for flinging explosive materials - that were no doubt used in the Thirty Years War that had begun in 1618. [catalogue page -- trans.]

Previously: Combat.
Generally: shared feeds / blog links / BibliOdyssey posts tagged + summarised / saved bookmarks / twitter, & for those who tune in via rss, email or telegraph, BibliOdyssey lives here. Just so you know. I, too, had forgotten where it was .. for a while.

Artillery Firepower

Cod.icon. 232 -- 'Kunst- und Artillerie-Buch' -- is available from the Bavarian State Library in Munich (click 'Miniaturansicht' for thumbnail views). I suppose half or more of the illustrated pages appear above [slightly spot-cleaned].

This folio manuscript was produced prior to 1622 and is attributed to Hans Georg Schirvatt. It may possibly have been made in Prague (it bears their Coat of Arms). The very small amount of background information suggests that it was an expensive work because gold highlighting was employed in some of the illustrations (or so they say: I can't see it).

The manuscript features some decidedly evil weaponry - shrapnel-filled grenades, grenade spears, bee-swarm baskets, barbed bombs and vessels for flinging explosive materials - that were no doubt used in the Thirty Years War that had begun in 1618. [catalogue page -- trans.]

Previously: Combat.
Generally: shared feeds / blog links / BibliOdyssey posts tagged + summarised / saved bookmarks / twitter, & for those who tune in via rss, email or telegraph, BibliOdyssey lives here. Just so you know. I, too, had forgotten where it was .. for a while.

Castes of South India

"[M]ost Hindus themselves felt little need for precise self-descriptions, except when faced with blunt questions about religion on official forms. Long after their encounter with the monotheistic religions of Islam and Christianity, they continued to define themselves through their overlapping allegiances to family, caste, linguistic group, region, and devotional sect. Religion to them was more unselfconscious practice than rigid belief; it is partly why Indian theology accommodates atheism and agnosticism.

Their rituals and deities varied greatly, defined often by caste and geography; and they were also flexible: new goddesses continue to enrich the pantheon even today. There is an AIDS goddess which apparently both causes and eradicates the disease. At any given time, both snakes and the ultimate reality of the universe were worshipped in the same region, sometimes by the same person. Religion very rarely demanded, as it did with many Muslims or Christians, adherence to a set of theological ideas prescribed by a single prophet, book, or ecclesiastical authority." [Pankaj Mishra]

"Snake catcher (Telligoo) / Female"

"Hindoo beggar / Female"

"Rajapoot songster / Rajapoot musician"

"Hindoo musicians"

"Hindoo potter / Female"

"Hindoo bangle maker - Female & her child"

"Lumbandy (?) / Female"

"Hindoo astronomer / Female"

"Hindoo dancing girl / Hindoo dancing master"

"Hindoo fencer / Female"

"Hindoo saddler / Female"

"Hindoo washerman / Hindoo washerwoman"

"Mussilman water bearer / Female"

"Malabar pilgrim / Female"

"Sholeah brahminy / Female"

'Seventy two specimens of castes in India ... : presented to the Revd. William Twining as a token of obligation by his ... friend Daniel Poor' [1837] is online among the General Collection, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University.

"This illustrated manuscript made in southern India in 1837 consists of 72 full-color hand-painted images of men and women of the various castes and religious and ethnic groups found in Madura, India at that time. Each drawing was made on mica, a transparent, flaky mineral which splits into thin, transparent sheets. As indicated on the presentation page, the album was compiled by the Indian writing master at an English school established by American missionaries in Madura, and given to the Reverend William Twining."

• The quote at the beginning of this entry comes from a fascinating article - 'The Invention of the Hindu' © Pankaj Mishra, 2004, that was posted to a great thread on Metafilter a few years ago by Dinesh. I don't *think* I've linked this up before (?) Oh well.
  
• Although the Wikipedia article itself is somewhat contentious, there are a number of worthwhile links relating to the caste system here.