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Lot Essay
William Bardin (fl.1783-1798) began making globes around 1780, having previously been a freeman of the Leathersellers' Company and of the Girdlers' Company. His first globes were of 9 and 12-inch diameter, published on 1 January 1782 in collaboration with Gabriel Wright (fl.1770-1804). Wright was a mathematical instrument-maker who had worked for eighteen years (according to an advertisement of his) for instrument-maker Benjamin Martin. Martin had the plates of Senex's celebrated globes, acquired from James Ferguson, and Wright was probably involved with the publication of Martin's versions of these globes. However, Wright may well have left Bardin before these globes actually appeared as a 1781 advertisement shows him resident at 36 Little Britain, whilst Bardin was based in Hind Court.
In 1790, William was joined by his son Thomas Marriott (1768-1819), apprenticed since 1783 and recently become a freeman. From now on the firm was known as W. & T.M. Bardin, and in 1794 moved to new premises in Salisbury Square, off Fleet Street. Following William's death, Thomas took sole control of the firm, which in turn was taken over by his daughter Elizabeth Marriott (1799-1851) in 1820, after he had died, and then by her husband, S.S. Edkins following their marriage in 1832, and a son of theirs was added to make S.S. Edkins & Son in 1848, until the father died in 1853 and the firm was closed shortly thereafter.
The Bardin output consisted of numerous globes destined for other instrument makers' and sellers' shops, and numerous cartouches bearing the name of Bardin were covered with a new name. On their 12-inch diameter terrestrial globes, at least, they did however take the precaution of printing a second note around the southern pole, which was rarely covered.
The Schmidt Collection contains an engraved advertising sheet for the Bardin firm dated 1 January 1798, upon which the 18-inch diameter globes on mahogany stands of this style are priced at 13 guineas. They were assisted in the manufacture of these 18-inch spheres by the firm of William & Samuel Jones, themselves established makers of globes and fine orreries. The globe industry was thriving in London at this time, as part of the wider and similarly buoyant scientific instrument industry. This is elucidated admirably and in far greater detail than here in the paper by Millburn and Rössaak.
In 1790, William was joined by his son Thomas Marriott (1768-1819), apprenticed since 1783 and recently become a freeman. From now on the firm was known as W. & T.M. Bardin, and in 1794 moved to new premises in Salisbury Square, off Fleet Street. Following William's death, Thomas took sole control of the firm, which in turn was taken over by his daughter Elizabeth Marriott (1799-1851) in 1820, after he had died, and then by her husband, S.S. Edkins following their marriage in 1832, and a son of theirs was added to make S.S. Edkins & Son in 1848, until the father died in 1853 and the firm was closed shortly thereafter.
The Bardin output consisted of numerous globes destined for other instrument makers' and sellers' shops, and numerous cartouches bearing the name of Bardin were covered with a new name. On their 12-inch diameter terrestrial globes, at least, they did however take the precaution of printing a second note around the southern pole, which was rarely covered.
The Schmidt Collection contains an engraved advertising sheet for the Bardin firm dated 1 January 1798, upon which the 18-inch diameter globes on mahogany stands of this style are priced at 13 guineas. They were assisted in the manufacture of these 18-inch spheres by the firm of William & Samuel Jones, themselves established makers of globes and fine orreries. The globe industry was thriving in London at this time, as part of the wider and similarly buoyant scientific instrument industry. This is elucidated admirably and in far greater detail than here in the paper by Millburn and Rössaak.