Pair of English Globes by Cary, London, 1798 and 1800

About the Item

Pair of 12-inch table globes John and William Cary London, 1798 and 1800 Some restored cracks and abrasions lb 11 each (kg 5) The two terrestrial and celestial globes rest in their original Dutch style stands with four supporting turned wood columns. Each one measures 18 in in height x 17 in in diameter with the diameter of the spheres measuring about 12 in; 46 cm in height x 43 cm in diameter x 31 cm diameter of the spheres. The 12 inch measure was one of the most frequently used by British manufacturers of globes of this period. Each globe is composed of two series of twelve printed paper gores, aligned and glued onto plaster spheres. The brass circle of the meridian bears engravings marking the degrees of latitude and the distances from the poles. The circle of the horizon is composed of wood covered with printed paper and shows in detail the amplitude, the direction of the winds, the days and months of the year and the names and symbols of the zodiac. Each bears a cartouche containing two different inscriptions: On the terrestrial globe the cartouche is affixed in the Pacific Ocean, to the west side of the United States. CARY’S New Terrestrial Globe, DELINEATED From the best Authorities extant, Exhibiting the different tracks of Captain Cook. and the New Discoveries made by him and other Circumnavigators. London A piece of paper pasted over the last abraded line states : Sold by J. Smith Royal Exchange London On the celestial globe the cartouche is affixed above the constellation of Hercules: Cary’s New Celestial Globe, on which are correctly laid down upwords of 3500 stars Selected from the most accurate observations and calculated for the Year 1800. With the extent of each Constellation precisely defined By Mr. Gilpin of the Royal Society. Like the other globe, this also bears a paper over the last abraded line: Sold by J. Smith Royal Exchange London For the terrestrial globe date - 1798 - see the one described by Peter Van der Krogt in Old Globes in the Netherlands, Utrecht 1984, page 79. On the globe the exploration routes of Cook, Pickergill, Vancouver, La Pérouse as well as others from the previous period, are traced. Almost all of central and southern Africa is called Unknown Parts. The United States occupies only the eastern half of the current territory. Alaska is described as Alyaska (it was to become part of the United States in 1867) and is only partially delineated. Australia (which was to be so named after 1824) is called New Holland. In both globes, when they were put on sale, the last line of the cartouche (which originally had the inscription Made & Sold by J. & W. Cary No. 181 Strand and the date) was abraded and in its place the dealer J. Smith inserted his name. As reported in Van der Krogt, P., Old Globes in the Netherlands, op. cit, p. 79, it was normal for British retailers of globes to apply their name on the cartouche of items sold by them, but produced by others. The brothers John (1754-1835) and William (1760-1825) Cary, cartographers, engravers and instrument makers of London, published their first globe in 1791 and quickly became one of the main production houses in this field. Their production included terrestrial and celestial globes of four different sizes. See Van der Krogt, P., op. cit., p. 77 and Van der Krogt, P. - Dekker, E., Globes from the Western World, London 1993, pp. 116-118, for more biographical information on the brothers and their work and for a comparison with other specimens.

Creator:

Cary’s (Author)

Dimensions:

Height: 18.12 in (46 cm)Diameter: 16.93 in (43 cm)

Sold As:

Set of 2

Style:

George III (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Paper,Wood,Turned

Place of Origin:

England