Basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway
Date
25 March 1698
Creator
After
Edwin Sandys (Irish) , Engraver
Object type
Archive reference number
Manuscript page number
p17
Material
Dimensions
height (page): 202mm
width (page): 317mm
width (page): 317mm
Subject
Description
Drawing of basalt columns of the Giant's Causeway in Ireland with a scale. The drawing emphasises the different shapes and structures of the columns, which were discussed in Thomas Molyneux's letter dated 25 March 1698. It is a copy of a section of the drawing done by Edwin Sandys (d. 1708) at the behest of the Dublin Philosophical Society, and which had been printed in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, vol. 19, no. 235 (1697). Molyneux's letter was read at the meeting of the Royal Society on 29 June 1698 and published, with this image, in Philosophical Transactions, vol. 20, no. 241 (June 1698).
This drawing is signed, 'Mrs K. M. del: [= delineavit]'. This is most likely Katherine Molyneux, the wife of Thomas Molyneux and sister of Hugh Howard (1675-1737), an Irish portrait painter and collector.
This drawing is signed, 'Mrs K. M. del: [= delineavit]'. This is most likely Katherine Molyneux, the wife of Thomas Molyneux and sister of Hugh Howard (1675-1737), an Irish portrait painter and collector.
Transcription
In the bottom corner, signed: 'Mrs K. M. del[ineavit]'.
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Transcribed by the Making Visible project
Object history
29 June 1698, 'A letter from Dr Mollineux to Dr Lister giveing [sic] an exact account of the shape & structure of the stones of the Giants Cawsway in Ireland some of which are but of 3 sides, others of 8 and of all numbers of sides between. He gave the exact figures of the severall sorts of joints and many other curious remarks, he observed that in some of the columns the convexity was upwards in others downwards' (JBO/10/76).
Printed as an illustration in Thomas Molyneux, ‘Containing some additional observation on the Giants Causeway in Ireland’, Phil. Trans., vol. 20, no. 241 (June 1698), pp. 209-23.
Molyneux's explanation for a second prospect of the Giant's Causeway is given in Phil. Trans. no. 241: 'Perceiving then I could not so well rely on the Draught of the Giants Causeway that was first taken, and printed about four years since in the fore-mentioned Transaction, as being done by the Hand of one who was no extraordinary Artist, tho’ the best that could be then had; I proposed the last Summer to some Philosophical Gentlemen here in Dublin, that we should imploy, at our common Charge, one Mr Sandys, a good Master in Designing and Drawing of Prospects, to go into the North of Ireland, and upon the Place take the genuine and accurate Figure of the whole Rock, with the natural Posture of the Hills and Country about it for some distance, accordingly we sent him away with such Instructions as I drew up for him, and he returned soon after with a fair and beautiful Draught very expressive of each Particular we desired; an exact Copy of which my Brother lately sent over to the Royal Society, by one of their worthy members, and my highly esteemed friend, the honourable Francis Roberts, when he went last from hence, this I believe you’ll find hanging up in their Repository at Gresham Colledge, to which I must desire you to have recourse, for the whole Map was too large and bulky to be inclos’d in this Letter. However, I have sever’d from it one of its most instructive Schemes, as being the chief and most essential part of it all, and have here sent it to you; from whence with the Help of the Description already published, you will easily frame to yourself a just Idea of the most singular and remarkable properties of this stone of the Giants Causeway' (pp. 211-12).
The original ink and watercolour drawing by Edwin Sandys is now at the National Museums Northern Ireland (BELUM.U5012). See Alasdair Kennedy, 'In Search of the "True Prospect": Making and Knowing the Giant's Causeway as a Field Site in the Seventeenth Century', British Journal for the History of Science, 41 (2008), 19-41 (p. 31).
Printed as an illustration in Thomas Molyneux, ‘Containing some additional observation on the Giants Causeway in Ireland’, Phil. Trans., vol. 20, no. 241 (June 1698), pp. 209-23.
Molyneux's explanation for a second prospect of the Giant's Causeway is given in Phil. Trans. no. 241: 'Perceiving then I could not so well rely on the Draught of the Giants Causeway that was first taken, and printed about four years since in the fore-mentioned Transaction, as being done by the Hand of one who was no extraordinary Artist, tho’ the best that could be then had; I proposed the last Summer to some Philosophical Gentlemen here in Dublin, that we should imploy, at our common Charge, one Mr Sandys, a good Master in Designing and Drawing of Prospects, to go into the North of Ireland, and upon the Place take the genuine and accurate Figure of the whole Rock, with the natural Posture of the Hills and Country about it for some distance, accordingly we sent him away with such Instructions as I drew up for him, and he returned soon after with a fair and beautiful Draught very expressive of each Particular we desired; an exact Copy of which my Brother lately sent over to the Royal Society, by one of their worthy members, and my highly esteemed friend, the honourable Francis Roberts, when he went last from hence, this I believe you’ll find hanging up in their Repository at Gresham Colledge, to which I must desire you to have recourse, for the whole Map was too large and bulky to be inclos’d in this Letter. However, I have sever’d from it one of its most instructive Schemes, as being the chief and most essential part of it all, and have here sent it to you; from whence with the Help of the Description already published, you will easily frame to yourself a just Idea of the most singular and remarkable properties of this stone of the Giants Causeway' (pp. 211-12).
The original ink and watercolour drawing by Edwin Sandys is now at the National Museums Northern Ireland (BELUM.U5012). See Alasdair Kennedy, 'In Search of the "True Prospect": Making and Knowing the Giant's Causeway as a Field Site in the Seventeenth Century', British Journal for the History of Science, 41 (2008), 19-41 (p. 31).
Related fellows
William Molyneux (1656 - 1698, British) , Science writer
Martin Lister (1639 - 1712, British) , Physician
Martin Lister (1639 - 1712, British) , Physician
Associated place