Description
In the United States, Idaho, Montana, Nevada and Arizona are shown with their pre-1864 boundaries, as is Dakota Territory, and Wyoming is not yet created. Alaska is shown as “Russian Territory,” indicating a date prior to 1867. Oklahoma is labeled Indian Territory. The Baja Peninsula of Mexico is labeled Lower California. Present-day Canada is divided into numerous regions with some tribal names (e.g. Saskatchawan, Athabaska) and English ones such as New Georgia for British Columbia, and smaller areas including Swan River, Albany, and Rupert River. Most of the African place names provided are along the coasts, since the interior was largely unknown to Westerners, though Mt. Kilimanjaro is indicated. The “Sahara or Great Desert” is shaded gray. Australia is also mostly labeled along the coasts and is cream-colored except South Australia outlined in red and colored pink. Antarctica is largely unmapped, reflecting geographical knowledge of the time, with only a few sections of coastline that are labeled “Antarctic Continent.”
The equator, ecliptic, and equinoctial colure are denoted with heavy dashed lines, the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn with thinner dashed lines highlighted in red. The Meridian of Greenwich is labeled and denoted by a bolder line than the other latitude lines. Major land masses are outlined with horizontal hatch marks and mountain ranges are indicated with hatched lines. Oceans are cream-colored; landmasses are cream, pink, blue, green, and yellow, surrounded by a wide green outline. The borders of some nations and US states are highlighted with thin red lines. There is a figure-eight analemma in the Pacific Ocean labeled “Table of Equation showing the Difference of Time Between the Clock and the Sun, Also the Declination of the Sun for every day in the Year.” The tracks of the explorers Captain James Cook, Christopher Columbus, Charles Wilkes, Perouse, Vancouver, and Clerk are indicated in the oceans with dates of the voyages. As is particularly characteristic of Franklin globes, there are also many historical and geographical inscriptions about these explorations such as, “Where Capt. Cook was Killed in 1779” in present-day Hawaii, “The Washington Is. were Discovered by Capt. Ingraham of Boston 1791,” and a few longer historical texts.
Franklin globes were produced throughout the second half of the 19th century in Troy, New York — with Franklin Field of Troy, New York as globe maker — by a succession of companies under their own names: Merriam & Moore (1851-1852), Merriam Moore & Co. (1852-1858), Moore & Nims (1858-1868), H.B. Nims & Co. (1869-1885), Nims & Knight (1886-1889/92), and again H.B. Nims & Co. (1890/92-1896). The globes were variously available in the six, ten, twelve, sixteen, and thirty-inch diameters, with a variety of bases, generally in cast iron or wood and often reflecting the prevailing Victorian decorative arts style of the period. Models were made for both school and home parlor or library use. Collectively Franklin with its successors was one of the leading American globe makers of the 19th century in terms of quality, number and diversity of globes, and longevity of production.
Circular Cartouche: THE FRANKLIN/ TERRESTRIAL/ GLOBE/ 12 INCHES IN DIAMETER CONTAINING ALL THE/ Geographical Divisions/ A POLITICAL BOUNDARIES/ to the present date/ Carefully Compiled from the best Authorities/ MERRIAM MOORE & CO./ TROY N.Y./ G. Stern Engraver/ N.Y.
Condition: Globe and horizon generally very good, recently professionally restored, including the restoration of minor scattered cracks, abrasions, and losses, now with light remaining toning, wear, and, handling while retaining a handsome color tone. Stand very good with light wear and a few restored cracks.
References:
Dekker, Elly and van der Krogt, Peter. Globes from the Western World. London: Zwemmer, 1993. pp. 135-36, 140.
Franklin Globes. Troy, New York: Merriam, Moore & Co., c. 1853. (Flier.)
Warner, Deborah Jean. “The Geography of Heaven and Earth.” Rittenhouse Journal of the American Scientific Instrument Enterprise. Vol. 2, Nos. 2 & 3, 1987. pp. 63-64, 88-89.
Yonge, Ena L. A Catalogue of Early Globes, Library Series No. 6. American Geographical Society, 1968. p. 53.
