Trouvelot's 1881 Celestial Atlas Now Online
Étienne Léopold Trouvelot's 1881 portfolio of astronomical illustrations, originally sold for $125, is now widely available online via the New York Public Library. The 15 chromolithograph plates depict planets, sunspots, and comets with remarkable detail. Trouvelot, a French artist and amateur scientist, produced over 7,000 drawings during his time in America, working at the Harvard College Observatory from 1872. His work was considered reliable astronomical research before photography improved. However, Trouvelot is also infamous for accidentally introducing the Gypsy Moth to North America through escaped silkworm larvae. Born in Aisne, France on December 26, 1827, he fled to the US in the mid-1850s, possibly seeking asylum from Napoleon III. He returned to France in 1882 and died in 1895. His drawings, combining scientific accuracy with artistic elegance, were used as a prop in a 1966 Star Trek episode.
Key facts
- Trouvelot's portfolio of astronomical illustrations was first published in 1881
- The portfolio originally sold for $125
- The 15 colored plates are available online from the New York Public Library
- Trouvelot was born in Aisne, France on December 26, 1827
- He fled to America in the mid-1850s, possibly seeking political asylum from Napoleon III
- He worked at the Harvard College Observatory from 1872
- He accidentally introduced the Gypsy Moth to North America
- A print of his Jupiter picture appeared in a 1966 Star Trek episode
Entities
Artists
- Étienne Léopold Trouvelot
- Galileo Galilei
Institutions
- Harvard College Observatory
- New York Public Library
Locations
- Aisne
- France
- Massachusetts
- North America