Likewise, accounts of alpine climbing expeditions
at the turn of the century offer early descriptions of viewing the curvature
of the earth. The British, with only simple ropes and hobnailed boots,
were among the first to reach the summits of the Swiss Alps. British writer
and essayist Leslie Stephen was considered by some to be the third best
climber of the Swiss Dolomites. From the peak of Mont Blanc, Stephen observed
how "at his feet was lying a vast slice of the map of Europe." Most likely,
Stephen's deep interest in astronomy was in part inspired by Flammarion.
In fact, Flammarion, who was fascinated with ballooning, along with colleague
and co-writer James Glaisher, recorded inTravels in the Air, their observations
of the earth from the air. They noted how the earth from a
balloon "appeared like a prodigious map spread
out beneath their feet." At the same time, Jules Verne's literary work
reflects the widespread influence of Flammarion's popular publications.
Like Flammarion, Verne too had a mutual fascination with astronomy and
ballooning as is evidenced in his novels Around the World in Eighty Days,
and From the Earth to the Moon. This paper will investigate how the the
popularization of astronomy, mountain climbing, and ballooning, though
disparate disciplines, collectively became instrumental in shaping the
popular perception of the earth as a globe in space.
Note: should the selection committee feel the topic is too heavily based on cultural studies, I could offer a more historical paper on Edwin Hubble and the Mount Wilson Observatory.