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Lot 430
Ebsworth, [Richard]. fl.1820-1835. Ebsworth's New Portable Pocket Orrery. [London: c.1825.]
5 December 2018, 14:00 EST
New YorkSold for US$10,000 inc. premium
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Ebsworth, [Richard]. fl.1820-1835.
Ebsworth's New Portable Pocket Orrery. [London: c.1825.] A miniature portable pocket orrery, diameter 100 mm, with circular hand-colored engraved base diagram, with mechanism mounted centrally, and earth rotating around the sun, and moon around the earth, the whole mounted in a fruitwood base with a turned domed lid, the base with 3 small brassed acorn feet, and the inside of the dome with Ebsworth's original printed label. The lip of the base slightly cracked with some loss, otherwise in fine condition.
A charming and rare miniature portable orrery by Richard Ebsworth, a London optician and mathematician who is known to have made drawing instruments and a sundial. The concept of the miniature orrery is very rare, and this is a reduced-sized version of some of the Jones-type orreries and small tellurium that were being made in London in the early 19th century. Just as the pocket globe market expanded with the Cary and Newton families competing to provide the next and best pocket globe, so the many instrument makers designed miniature instruments to the burgeoning market of wealthy gentlemen. cf. Clifton Directory of British Scientific Instrument makers 1550-1851 p 92.
A charming and rare miniature portable orrery by Richard Ebsworth, a London optician and mathematician who is known to have made drawing instruments and a sundial. The concept of the miniature orrery is very rare, and this is a reduced-sized version of some of the Jones-type orreries and small tellurium that were being made in London in the early 19th century. Just as the pocket globe market expanded with the Cary and Newton families competing to provide the next and best pocket globe, so the many instrument makers designed miniature instruments to the burgeoning market of wealthy gentlemen. cf. Clifton Directory of British Scientific Instrument makers 1550-1851 p 92.



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