See the world through the eyes of Renaissance navigators. Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator (1512–1594) published his first terrestrial globe around 1536 and introduced entirely new concepts in navigation. His oceans were marked by "rhumb lines" that assisted navigators in setting a course. Mercator's projection—a method of translating two-dimensional maps onto a three-dimensional sphere—was revolutionary and is still useful to cartographers today. His technique involved reproducing a map on twelve tapered "gores" that were widest at the Equator and thinnest at the poles. These gores were then applied to a pre-fabricated papier mâché globe. This made globes quicker to produce and more affordable than previous hand-engraved models. This 8" diameter globe sits in a desktop turned-wood stand with a French finish. Dimensions with stand: 10 1/2"W x 11 1/2"H x 10 1/2"D.