21-inch Terrestrial and Celestial Globes by John and William Cary

This monumental pair of 21-inch terrestrial and celestial globes was crafted by the renowned John and William Cary of London. The firm is generally regarded as the greatest maker of globes of the Georgian age, and these examples display both the beauty and scientific accuracy for which their globes are known. They are also among the rarest of the Cary firm's creations due to their unusual size. It is interesting to note that the surface area of a 21-inch globe is an incredible 206% larger area than that of a more common 12-inch globe. Suspended on mahogany pedestals, the globes feature varnished papier-mâché map surfaces, brass meridian rings and horizon rings that display monthly and astrological calendars. Accurate compasses are embedded in their pedestals.  

Owning such a pair meant having a wealth of information at one's fingertips. Expert cartographers rendered continents in painstaking detail, even indicating Native American tribal lands and natural resources. The accurate placement of New Orleans, a well-traveled and economically vital port, is of particular interest. Scientific understanding of the world and sky would have been invaluable to all areas of business, including shipping, geography and especially exploration. The voyages of Captains Cook, Vancouver and others are charted, as are detailed maps of the stars and constellations. The terrestrial globe also features an analemma, which provided a scale of the Sun's daily declination.

John and his brother William Cary collaborated in the late 18th century to craft some of the finest globes ever created. Their expert design and craftsmanship soon allowed them to take command of the English globe-producing market. After the death of the Cary brothers, the firm continued to produce high-quality globes under the direction of John's sons George and John.

A similar model is shown in an antique advertisement for Cary's globes in Globes in Greenwich by E. Dekker.

27 3/4" wide x 27 3/4" deep x 43" high

Dated 1816 with additions to 1836