Dudley Adams (1762-1830)
18-Inch Terrestrial Floor Globe
London: c. 1802
Mahogany tripod stand
44 inches high, 24 inches diameter
Sold, please inquire as to the availability of similar items.
Dudley Adams 18-Inch Terrestrial Globe: 1802
Floor Globe on George III Mahogany Tripod Stand
Floor Globe on George III Mahogany Tripod Stand
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A George III floor globe on a mahogany tripod stand. The Adams family was among the greatest scientific instrument and globe makers in Georgian England. This globe has handsome mellowed cream and olive colors, and is remarkably clear and readable. As expected, the western portion of the United States has minimal cartography, the western portion consisting of largely unexplored regions labeled Louisiana, Nova Mexico, and Albion Teguayo. The tracks of the latest voyages of Captains Cook and Anson are shown with hatched lines, and wind currents are shown with arrows. A similar Dudley Adams globe dated 1797, on a tall cabriole leg table stand, was sold by George Glazer Gallery and is shown in our site archives.
The terrestrial globe is surmounted by a calibrated brass northern polar hour circle in a calibrated full brass meridian. The horizon band with engraved paper calendar and zodiac is supported by four curved quadrant uprights with ogee brackets where joined to the horizon; the quadrants are joined below the equator with a brass circular tropical ring characteristic of Adams globes. The tripod stand has a turned baluster standard and downswept legs ending in spade feet. The legs are centered by a medial compass stretcher with engraved paper compass (engraved "D. Adams Fleet Street, London") and working compass needle enclosed in glass.
Land masses and waters are generally in various tones of olive and cream colors, with some green outlines. The United States is shown with early cartography: Virginia, N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Georgia, and Florida extending west to the Mississippi, the American West shown generally as Louisiana, Nova Mexico, Albion Teguayo. Cook’s and Anson’s recent voyages are shown by black hatched lines. Wind currents are shown with arrows.
The Adams family were major British globe makers during the 18th and 19th centuries, read more in our Guide to Globe Makers.
Cartouche Set in Wreath: Britanniarum/ REGI Augustissimo/ GEORGIO TERTIO./ Scientiarum Cultori pariter et Praesidio/ Globum hunc Terrestrem./ Omnes hactenus exploratos terrarum tractus, Ad./ Observationes Navigantium It inerantium et Astronomo/ rum recentiores accuratissime descriptos exhibentum/ Grati animi et pietatis monumentum/ D.D.Q./ Omni cultu et officio devinctissimius/ D. Adams/ Made by D. ADAMS, Globe Maker to the King, Ins’t Maker to his/ Majesty’s Ordh’ee, & Optician to H.R.H. The Prince of Wales,/ No. 60 Fleet Street London/ 1802
References:
Dekker, Elly, et al. Globes at Greenwich: A Catalogue of the Globes and Armillary Spheres in the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich. London: Oxford University Press and the National Maritime Museum, 1999. p. 245.
Dekker, Elly and van der Krogt, Peter. Globes from the Western World. London: Zwemmer, 1993. p. 111-116.