Charles Explorer logo
🇬🇧

Jan Felkl and Son : Lithographic plates

Publication at Faculty of Arts |
2019

Abstract

The contribution introduces the preserved lithographic plates. The company Jan Felkl and son operated in Roztoky near Prague.

It made globes in 8 sizes and in 17 language versions. Unfortunately, many of these variants are unavailable. 18 lithographic stones have been preserved in Museum of Roztoky.

The stones were measured and photographed. The mirror image has been modified in software GIMP.

The stones contain either only picture or text information for globe maps. The terrestrial globes are captured here in Czech, Polish, German, English, French, Swedish and Italian language.

The celestial globes only in German and Hungarian. The stones also included zodiac for horizontal circle.

In addition to the famous names of Felkl's cartographers, some new names appeared. For example, the founder of the academic bookstore in Göteborg, Nathan Jacobe Gumpert.

Then the name of the proof-reader: corrected Vojtěch Jassig. Repairs are evident on some stones and they had certainly been used repeatedly.

For faster orientation they were also probably covered by printed maps. The Roztoky manufactory ceased to exist in 1952 and it was demolished in 1970.

The local people took the stones. Negotiations are held with one of the secret owners to sell the stones built in the basement of his house.