Description
The modern-day continental United States is divided into three main regions: the area East of the Mississippi River is named United States, the area between the Rocky Mountains and the Mississippi River is named Louisiana, and the Western region remains largely unmarked, highly typical depictions of the respective areas in this period, particularly on miniature globes. On the Eastern coastline, states are not outlined; however, various cities of colonial significance are identified and named, such as Boston, N. York, Philadelphia, Chesakpeak, Washington, and Charlestown. Florida is identified. The Great Lakes are illustrated, but only L. Superior is named, likely due to the size of the globe. To the North, the Canadian cities of Halifax, Montreal, and Quebec are featured, as well as Hudson’s Bay. Regions such as New Wales and New South Wales are marked, and British Territory is overlaid in larger text to demonstrate British claim over present-day Canada. Between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains, the territory is generally referred to as Louisiana, with the only notable city marked being New Orleans. The Columbia River and the Rocky Mountains are depicted by dark solid lines and cross-hatching but not named. Quite a few rivers in the region are named, including the Rio Norte, Red River, and the Missouri River, reflecting vibrant colonial trading activity in the area despite few European settlements. Notably, Assiniboine, a Northern Great Plains First Nation, is marked in the region corresponding to the modern-day Dakotas, Wyoming, and Eastern Montana, while other globes often incorrectly locate the Snake Nation in this territory, which was made up of Northern Paiute, Bannock, and Shoshone Native Americans and resided further West. Notable placenames on the Western third of the continent include S. Francisco, S. Diego, and New Albion, the name for the continental area north of Mexico claimed by Sir Francis Drake for England in 1579.
The Newton family of cartographers were among the leading English globe makers of the early 19th Century, producing floor standing, table, and pocket globes under various successive Newton company names. Newton pocket globes each in a mahogany box — similar to the offered globe — are in the collection of the National Maritime Museum in Britain and pictured in Dekker, Globes at Greenwich. From 1831 to 1841, Miles Berry, a civil engineer, was a member of the Newton firm, then known as Newton, Son & Berry, operating at 66 Chancery Lane, dating the offered globe to this period. See our Guide to Globe Makers.
The heyday of the pocket globe was Georgian period England, from the early 18th century to the late 19th century, where they were mainly made as specialty items for English aristocrats interested in geography and astronomy. Read more about the history and development of pocket globes. Read more about the history and development of pocket globes.
Cartouche: Terrestrial Cartouche: NEWTON’s/ New & Improved/ TERRESTRIAL/ GLOBE/ Published by Newton Son & Berry/ 66 Chancery Lane,/ LONDON.
Condition: Generally very good, recently professionally restored, including restorations to minor abrasions, now with overall light toning and wear. Box very good, recently repolished, with light overall wear and shrinkage.
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. pp. 55, 422-423, 425-427.
“James Cook.” Wikipedia. 4 July 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Cook#Third_voyage_.281776.E2.80.9379.29_and_death (7 July 2011)
