Anders Åkerman
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Anders Åkerman (1721 or 1723 – 1778) was a Swedish globe maker. He was the son of a carpenter and his mother worked as a servant at a manor house. He studied mathematics in Uppsala University and learnt engraving. In 1758 he was engaged by a newly formed cosmographic society to produce terrestrial and celestial globes, with the purpose of propagating geographic knowledge and offering a cheaper alternative to imported globes. He produced a first model pair, consisting of a terrestrial globe and a celestial globe, in 1759–60.
A smaller, second model pair was produced from 1762, and a third model pair, larger than the earlier two pairs, in 1766. Despite continuous support from several benefactors, the production never became commercially viable and suffered further setback following a fire which devastated Åkerman's workshop in 1766. He died destitute, though the workshop would continue to exist in changing forms for around a century. Åkerman was the first one to produce terrestrial and celestial globes in Sweden.
Åkerman appears to have been born in 1721 (or possibly 1723) in the countryside of present-day Nyköping Municipality.[1] He came from a poor family; his father was a carpenter. His surname possibly derived from the nearby estate Åkerö Manor, where his mother worked as a servant. He married Kristina Österberg in 1753; the couple had a daughter, and a son who also became an engraver.[2]
He attended school in Strängnäs 1739–1747, and then enrolled in Uppsala University.[3] He studied mathematics, but apparently he never graduated. In the meantime, he had started learning engraving in 1750, perhaps from Carl Bergqvist. From then on he produced mainly copper engravings for printing various ephemera for the university. He would continue producing engravings throughout his life. He made some portraits, including one of Carl Linnaeus.[4]
He also printed a hydrographic map of the Gulf of Finland and an atlas for children in 1768; the latter became a success and new editions appeared in 1774, as well as after Åkerman's death, in 1807, 1810, 1813, and 1815.[4] From 1757 he was employed by the Royal Society of Sciences in Uppsala as their engraver,[3] and from 1758 active as a globe maker.[5] Åkerman started the first production of terrestrial and celestial globes in Sweden, and has therefore been given the epithet the "father of Swedish globemaking".[3][6][7][8]
Despite receiving substantial aid from several benefactors, Åkerman struggled economically throughout his life. In April 1766, a fire devastated much of the city of Uppsala, and destroyed the workshop of Åkerman. He managed to salvage some material and could relatively quickly resume his work, but appears to have been psychologically broken after the event. He died destitute in Uppsala.[9]
Though never commercially viable, the globe workshop he had founded in Uppsala was contextually part of a scientifically very productive time in Sweden, during the second half of the 18th century. The workshop would continue to exist in somewhat changing forms for around a century.[3] Fredrik Akrel, who had studied under Åkerman, was appointed as his successor by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1788.[8][10]
