A VICTORIAN MAHOGANY TERRESTRIAL GLOBE

THE GLOBE EARLY 20TH CENTURY AND BY W & A K JOHNSTON LTD.

Details

A VICTORIAN MAHOGANY TERRESTRIAL GLOBE
The globe early 20th Century and by W & A K Johnston Ltd.
The globe with printed label inscribed 'TERRESTIAL GLOBE by W.&A.K. JOHNSTON, LIMITED / Geographers, Engravers & Printers, /EDINBURGH', made up of two sets of twelve colour printed gores, the equatorial graduated in degrees running clockwise and counter-clockwise and also in hours and minutes, the ecliptic graduated in days and showing the symbols of the houses of the zodiac, the Greenwich Meridian, equinoctial and solstitial colures shown and graduated in degrees, the countries coloured and outlined, the oceans showing the currents, shipping routes and analemma, with brass meridian ring divided into four quadrants, brass hour ring graduated 'I - XII' twice, mounted on the horizon ring, divided into four quadrants graduated in degrees and showing the names and symbols of the houses of the zodiac, the months and the days, on a quadripartite support and turned baluster stem, on three scrolled serpentine tapering legs centred by a turned finial, brass castors, lacking compass cross-stretcher to the legs, restorations
The globe: 18 in. (45.5 cm.) diam.; 41 in. (104 cm.) high overall

Provenance

The late A.C.J. Wall, Esq. (see also lot 215 in this sale).
Thence by descent.

Lot Essay

William and Alexander Keith Johnston both worked for the Scottish globemakers Kirkwood & Sons until 1824, before establishing their own business in 1825, successfully publishing globes into the 20th century, including their celebrated 30-inch globe, which was awarded a number of medals at the Great Exhibition and was the first of its type made in Britain. The present example bears the legend 'Leningrad' in Russia (renamed in 1924), suggesting a date of manufacture in the late 1920s or early 1930s.

More from Important English Furniture

View All