Semler, Christoph

First edition of Semler's first astronomical work, atlas portion only. Like many celestial cartographers of the period, Semler is virtually unknown except through his atlases. His Astrognosia nova has the distinction of being the first atlas to be printed with black backgrounds. Each plate was printed from a woodblock, cut only to outline the constellations and pinpoint the stars. Each woodcut has a different orientation although celestial north is indicated by an arrow on each plate. The plates followed the text beginning at page 117, and had their own special title-page, which is present here: XXXV. Stern-Bilder zur Astrognosia nova, welche entweder besonders können gebunden oder von den Buchbinder am gehörigen Orte eingeschlagen werden. As the title implies the plates could be bound separately, and presumably sold independently of the text. The work is scarce, with NUC recording only 5 copies in American institutions.

Semler included all eleven of the new constellation figures that Hevelius introduced. However, "Semler rejected the outside-in viewpoint of Hevelius, since the constellation figures are reversed. They are not, however, turned back to front, since that cannot be so easily accomplished by just reversing a woodcut" (Linda Hall).