In this issue: The maxim “Think Big to Be Big” was popularized by businessman Claude M. Bristol in his 1948 motivational book The Magic of Believing — and as a memorable line said by John Candy to Tom Hanks in the 1980s comedy Splash. This isn't just an exercise in mindset; it is a historical reality. The grandest achievements in industry, art, and statecraft have always belonged to those who commanded an expansive vision.
This month's newsletter brings together a curated selection of items that exemplify thinking big — in physical scale, historical importance, and creative genius. Included in this selection are magnificent early star charts that confront the enormity of the cosmos, a giant Art Deco globe projecting the worldview of the 1930s, and a mid-century commercial airline route map celebrating technological triumph over large geographic distances. We also celebrate history’s most visionary big minds, including the ancient astronomer Ptolemy, the master printmaker Piranesi, and the inventive polymath Benjamin Franklin. Whether displayed in a home or an executive suite, our featured works serve as visual anchors, surrounding you with the greatness of human achievement throughout history.
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Availability of items below subject to prior sale.
Sale prices in effect through June 20, 2026.
STARS OF THE GALAXY
Our journey into expansive thinking and ingenuity begins where humanity has looked to find the truly infinite: the expansive boundless theater of the night sky. Centuries before The James Webb Space Telescope, brilliant map makers and astronomers attempted the impossible task of charting the limitless heavens onto paper, bequeathing to us timeless charts that balance immense scientific scale with breathtaking fine cartographic art.
THE SELF-CENTERED PLANET
Elegantly diagramming the ancient Ptolemaic view of the solar system with Earth at its center, this magnificent hand-colored engraving is a striking visualization of the solar system wrapped within a theatrical, cloud-filled Baroque sky. Originally published in Andreas Cellarius’s landmark Harmonia Macrocosmica, this example is from the rare 1708 Amsterdam edition by Peter Schenk and Gerard Valk. It balances the science of astronomy with unmatched decorative power, making a commanding intellectual and decorative statement. Regularly $4,750, sale price $3,900. More information.
A Pair of Stellar Charts
This spectacular pair of mid-18th-century celestial charts offers a sweeping, comprehensive look at the entire night sky across the Northern and Southern hemispheres. Sourced from the landmark Atlas Coelestis, these hand-colored engravings resulted from a masterclass collaboration between Nuremberg’s imperial cartographer Johann Baptist Homann and the brilliant astronomer Johann Gabriel Doppelmayr. Engraved at the height of the Age of Enlightenment, they encapsulate astronomy as high art on a grand scale, with constellations as mythological figures, and in other forms. Regularly $7,000, the pair, newsletter sale price $5,900. More information.
ART DECO BRASS FOR THE TOP BRASS
A fine and rare large scale 1940s George Philip & Son 30-inch terrestrial globe imported by Rand McNally. It has a commanding presence raised on a handsome, probably custom made, Art Deco brass stand. Business features include global shipping and railway routes, reflecting a "think big" perspective particularly suitable for modern executive settings. Regularly $33,000, sale price $29,000. More information.
THE POLAR ROUTE TO PARIS
This 1950s Trans World Airlines pictorial map illustrates how modern aviation dismantled geographic barriers, showcasing the Direct Polar Route from San Francisco to Paris as a way to conquer distance. Featuring bold, arcing routes, the piece serves as a commanding visual anchor for an office or boardroom, highlighting the new era of global connectivity. Regularly $950, sale price $850. More information.
A PAIR OF POLYMATHS
Benjamin Franklin, a man of numerous wide-ranging talents and interests, is portrayed deep in thought in a scarce 1793 London mezzotint by Edward Savage. He works at his desk alongside books and a bust of polymath Isaac Newton that together symbolize his major achievements in science, philosophy, and diplomacy. Regularly $4,500, sale price $3,800. More information.
THE TRIUMPH OF THORNTON'S TULIPS
Dr. Robert John Thornton bankrupted himself to hire Europe's premier artists and engravers to produce the flower folio The Temple of Flora (London:1799-1807). Today it is considered the greatest British botanical colorplate set ever produced. This work broke the botanical illustration convention of isolated specimens against plain backgrounds, instead placing enlarged sculptural flowers in dramatic Romantic landscape environments with a surrealist flair that looks remarkably modern. Here we offer an early issue of Tulips, regarded now as the best print in the set. This example has the rare 1794 J. Whatman paper watermark, prized by collectors. Regularly $8,000, sale price $7,200. More information.
ANCIENT MASTERPIECE DISCOVERED IN MARSHY POND!
Piranesi was a giant of 18th-century art who recorded the classical grandeur of his native Rome in a prolific series of folio books. His use of theatrical perspective and dramatic lighting is exemplified in this print of the giant Warwick Vase. This monumental Roman vessel was excavated in the early 1770s from the marshy, low-lying pond on the grounds of Hadrian's Villa in Tivoli. As restored and reconstructed in the 18th century under the guidance of Sir William Hamilton, the real vase stands nearly ten feet tall and six feet wide. Hamilton gave it to his nephew the Earl of Warwick who displayed it in his castle in the West Midlands of England. This oversized Piranesi engraving of the oversized ancient vase in tones of black and white will work beautifully in a neoclassical period room as well as in a contemporary, monochromatic interior. Regularly $3,750, sale price $3,300. More information.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BIG PICTURE
Larger-than-life-size portraits of hornbills — themselves big birds — combine fine art pedigree and high-impact design. This pair of hand-colored lithographs was published in 1980, as rendered by the acclaimed American ornithological artist Allen Blagden. Their provenance is the collection of the distinguished mid-century New York City influencer and cultural trailblazer Ashton Hawkins. Hornbills are renowned for their massive, sculptured casques and vivid, almost prehistoric beaks, making them a perfect subject in this striking and bold pair. They demand attention, creating a powerful visual display. Regularly $2,800, sale price $2,500. More information.
TIME TO THINK BIG
Our final offering is an oversized mid-20th-century American hourglass standing nearly two feet tall in an ebonized and parcel gilt wooden stand. As a dramatic sculptural accent for the office entryway or home library, it also serves as a reminder that because time is fleeting there is no time like the present to be bold, think big, and take action. Regularly $1,600, sale price $1,375. More information.