The Constellation Andromeda
A chained princess, pierced with real star positions, held up to the light.
- Work
- Urania's Mirror — Gloria Frederici, Andromeda, and Triangula, Plate 5
- Artist / naturalist
- Sidney Hall
- Origin & date
- London, 1825
- Held by
- Wikimedia Commons (Library of Congress copy)
Format
The full-resolution scan, color-managed to the source — yours to print, study, and keep.
Size
$19.00
The story
Urania's Mirror (1825) is one of the most charming objects in the history of popular astronomy: a boxed set of 32 hand-colored constellation cards, each engraved by Sidney Hall and pierced with pinholes at every star's true position — hold a card up to a candle or window and the constellation appears exactly as it stands in the night sky. This card gives Andromeda, the chained princess of Greek myth, her full theatrical due: gold shackles at wrist and ankle, a rose-pink gown, and her body used quite literally as a star chart, with labeled points for Alpheratz, Mirach, and Almach marking real catalogued stars along her arms, waist, and trailing foot. Two neighbor constellations share the card's edges, per period convention — the obsolete Gloria Frederici (a sword bound in laurel, upper left) and Triangula (lower right). What to notice: this is functional astronomy dressed as parlor entertainment, published for a Regency-era public newly hungry for science it could hold in its hands.
About this reproduction
- Faithful reproduction of a public-domain work, sourced from Wikimedia Commons (Library of Congress copy)’s open-access release.
- Printed to order on 200gsm EMA matte art paper: smooth, no glare.
- Color-managed to the source scan.
- Ships in 5–8 business days; satisfaction guarantee.
