A pair of terrestrial and celestial globes
2268W
Property of various owners
A pair of 13-inch table globes
James Wilson; [Albany, NY] 1811-[1814?]
[Signed] in cartouches: "A New American Terrestrial Globe on which the Principal Places of the Known World and Accurately laid down with the traced attempts of Captain Cook to discover a Southern Continent by James Wilson 1811" and "A New American Celestial Globe. Contains the Position of nearly 5000 Stars, Clusters, Nebulae, Planetary Nebulae &c Correctly computed & Laid Down from the Latest Observations and Discoveries by Dr. Maskelyne, Dr. Herschel, the Rev. Mr. Wollaston &C. &C. By James Wilson 181[4?]" Each made up of 12 hand-colored engraved gores with ecliptics; each mounted within a brass meridian ring, brass hour arrows, and mounted on turned maple wood stands with manuscript hand-colored horizon rings on mahogany.
18 in (47 cm.) overall height.
Sold for US$ 25,000 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • A highly important, rare and attractive matched pair of early American globes. James Wilson [1762-1835], America's first commercially successful globe maker, was born in New Hampshire and taught himself geography through study of an encyclopedia.
    The terrestrial globe is his first dated globe and this 13-inch size the largest size that he ever produced. In 1819 he produced a revision, but this is the earlier version without the named states of Indiana, Illinois, Alabama or Mississippi.
    Wilson's trade cards bore the following notice: "James Wilson is the original manufacturer of Globes in this country and has brought the art to such a degree of perfection, as to supersede altogether the necessity of importations of that article from abroad. Members of Congress, as friends of American productions and ingenuity, are respectfully invited to examine these Globes."

Category: Collectibles / Maritime

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Specialist - Maritime