Weber Costello Co.
12-Inch Black Ocean Globe, Chromed Airplane Base
Black Airplane Globe
Black Airplane Globe Black Airplane Globe
Black Airplane Globe Black Airplane Globe

Weber Costello Co.
12-Inch Table Globe on Chromed Airplane Base
Chicago Heights, Illinois: c. 1930s
15.5 inches high
The globe pictured here is sold, but we usually have the same model in stock. Please inquire as to availability.

Black Airplane Globe

The terrestrial globe in calibrated chromed half meridian, raised on an Art Deco chromed airplane-form base.  The globe has black oceans, with continents in various colors shown with political boundaries.  Capitals and major roads are in red.  Features shown on the globe, as indicated in the key, include principal railways, shipping lanes, short wave radio stations, and warm and cold ocean currents.  Manchukuo is shown, indicating a date of 1930s to 1945.

Aviation and travel themes frequently appear on globes manufactured in the mid 20th century, reflecting the popular interest in the dramatic progress of air travel.  Charles Lindbergh (1902-1974) became an American hero when he flew from New York to Paris in 1927.  Other landmark flights by such figures as Amelia Earhart also generated huge publicity and acclaim.  During World War II, faster and more versatile aircraft developed, and afterwards air travel across and between continents expanded rapidly.  In the late 1950s, the space race also fueled an interest in aviation, especially among young people to whom many of these globes were marketed.

Weber Costello began producing black ocean globes with airplane-form bases prior to World War II.  The design on the airplanes on these globes was geometric with Art Deco stylization.  Post-War black ocean globes, popular from the late 1940s to early 1960s, generally had more brightly colored geographic entities, and the airplane base was a different form -- more rounded, with broader wings.  With the current interest in modernist decor, these vintage globes are enjoying renewed popularity.

For more information on Weber Costello, please see our Guide to Globe Makers.

Circular Cartouche:  “NEW PEERLESS 12 INCH GLOBE/ TERRESTRIAL/ GLOBE/ WEBER COSTELLO CO./ PUBLISHERS/ CHICAGO HEIGHTS, ILL.”

Condition:  Generally very good with the usual light overall toning and wear.  Few minor abrasions restored.  Stand with the usual light oxidation.


Search and Site Maps Globes and Planetaria Prints and Books Maps and Celestials Decorative Arts Decorating and Gift Ideas The Art of Collecting New York Gallery How to Order Features and News George Glazer Gallery - Home