Description
The terrestrial globe, in cream color overall, has simple cartography, the continents named and outlined in green and additionally in red, orange, or yellow. The equator is highlighted in yellow. Some major countries and cities are named as well. Additionally, major oceans and seas are named. The continental United States in indicated, with only the additional name of New York. In Asia, the “Union of S.S. Reps.” is indicated along with Leningrad; the “Chinese Republic” is indicated along with “Pecing.” Antarctica is mostly unmapped except for a few short sections of coastline.
The celestial globe, in cream color overall, shows constellations delineated according to classical mythological figures and scientific instruments and stars to five orders of magnitude according to a key within a rectangle near the North Pole. Circles for the equator, ecliptic, equinoxes, and solstices are faintly highlighted in yellow or red.
Both globes indicate in the cartouche that they were issued by George Philip & Son, 32 Fleet Street, London, though the celestial globe bears the title “Smith’s Celestial Globe, in reference to the globemaker C. Smith & Sons; Philip succeeded that company in the late 19th century. A similar extant pair of globes sold by George Glazer Gallery (shown on the gallery website in archives) were instead mounted, as issued, on miniature wooden Masonic columns with brass capitals for use in a Masonic temple. According to a label on the bottom of the stands of the Masonic globes, they were made by Spencer & Co, 19/21 Queen Street, London. The Spencer firm advertised itself elsewhere as “manufacturers of masonic insignia and regalia.’
The present pair of Philip globes in wooden boxes, and the above referenced pair of Philip globes on Masonic columns are the only examples we have located of these rare globes. The celestial globe on the Masonic stand is the same issue and cartouche as the celestial globe in the box. However, the terrestrial globe on the Masonic stand bears the name of predecessor C. Smith & Son, 63 Charing Cross whereas terrestrial globe in the boxed set has been updated with the cartouche of George Philip & Son 32 Fleet Street. The cartography is substantially the same on each terrestrial globe. Nonetheless, the terrestrial globe on the earlier Masonic pair indicates the Russian Empire and Chinese Empire with Peking as capital whereas the terrestrial globe for the boxed pair has been updated to the “Union of S.S. Reps.” with Leningrad as capital and updated to Chinese Republic, with Peking also as capital. In Africa, the Masonic globe indicates Zanzibar and Cape Colony, whereas the boxed globe indicates British East Africa and South Africa respectively. The boxed globe also has the update of the addition of the name Hawaii. Accordingly, based on the foregoing the terrestrial globe in the Masonic pair can be dated to about slightly before 1910 (when Cape Colony became South Africa) and the terrestrial in the boxed set can be dated to have been issued in or after 1924 (establishment of Leningrad) and based on other extant Philip globes of different sizes to no later than about 1930.
The likely explanation is that Philip produced a small number of 2-inch globes. Their antecedents were both in the globes of predecessor company C. Smith & Sons. In the case of the Masonic pair, Philip sold them to middleman Spencer & Co, who in turn mounted them on miniature Masonic stands and resold them as such. Slightly later – about 1924 – Philip updated the terrestrial globe and issued it with the preexisting version of the celestial globe which had remained unchanged; this is typical for pairs of British and American issued terrestrial and celestial globes to have different dates. Thereupon about that period, or perhaps slightly later, the globes were mounted in a pair of matching wooden boxes in the mid-19th century taste, and sold as such, as they now exist today.
The Smith family of London globe makers, founded in 1799, produced a variety of floor and table models of globes throughout the 19th century. Charles Smith was joined in business by his son in 1845. According to the cartouche of extant Smith globes, they were made by J. Smith, and sold by C. Smith, 172 Strand, where they were in operation from 1827 to 1852. The firm later located at 63 Charing Cross, then known as C. Smith & Son. They were succeeded in the late 19th century by George Philip & Son, a prominent and prolific London globe maker that continued in business during the 20th century.
George Philip & Son was founded in 1834 in Liverpool by George Philip (1800-1882) primarily as a publisher of maps and atlases and celebrated its 150th anniversary in 1984. Its production of globes in the 19th century was mainly limited to associations with other British globe makers, including C. Smith & Sons, London. In 1902, Philip ventured into globe manufacture, facilitated by the firm’s establishment of the London Geographical Institute, a large factory for map, atlas, and globe production. Over the years, Philip has acquired the production lines of other British globe makers including Malby, Betts, C. Smith & Sons, and W. &. K. Johnston.
Terrestrial Cartouche: “TERRESTRIAL GLOBE/ GEORGE PHILIP & SON, Ltd./ 32 FLEET ST LONDON E.C. 4
Celestial Cartouche: “SMITH’S/ CELESTIAL GLOBE/ George Philip & Son Ltd./ 32 Fleet Street. E.C.”
Full publication information: George Philip & Son Ltd., 32 Fleet Street , E.C., London. C. Smith & Son, 63 Charing Cross, London.
