Description
The terrestrial globe is labeled in French and has cream-colored oceans and continents. Coastlines are outlined with hatch marks and highlighted in green. Mountain ranges are represented pictorially. The equator and ecliptic are highlighted in red. Oceans are marked with dotted lines called “Division Oceanique.” In North America, major rivers, the Rocky Mountains, and the Appalachian range are included, and a few major cities, mostly coastal, are included. Dotted lines show the boundaries between Nouvelle Bretagne (present-day Canada), the U.S. and Mexico, with Mexico’s northern border considerably farther north then today, reflecting pre-Mexican-American-War borders. The Western portions of present-day America and Canada are labeled with tribal names Assinboin, Indiens Serpents [Snake Indians], and Esqimaux [Eskimos]. Alaska is called Amerique Russe [Russian America]. Australia is called Nouvelle Hollande [New Holland] and Tasmania is presented as an island and labeled I. de Diemen [Island of Diemen]. Antarctica is labeled Ocean Glacial Antarctique and is unmapped, reflecting geographic knowledge at the time.
The celestial globe is comprised of 12 hand-colored engraved half gores laid to the ecliptic poles, with the axis through the celestial poles, the equatorial graduated in degrees and hours, the ecliptic graduated and labeled with signs of the zodiac, and an equinoctial colure. The horizon band has an engraved paper calendar and zodiac. The globe has constellations elegantly drawn in tapering black lines as figures of animals, mythological characters, and scientific instruments. They are cream-colored against a slightly toned tan background. The stars are shown to six orders of magnitude according to a key marked “Grandeurs” beside the Andromeda constellation, with many labeled with their Greek letters, and brighter ones like Altair named. Some of the constellations are labeled with the dates in which the names began being used by astronomers, e.g. “Le Renard” [The Fox] is labeled “Nouv. de 1670” (new in 1670).
As is typical with celestial globes, there is a celestial circle around the north pole and an overlapping one centered on the north ecliptic pole –somewhat adjacent — around the constellation Draco, the dragon. On of these circles surrounds the axis of the celestial globe which is through the imaginary celestial poles, and the other circle surrounds the north ecliptic pole through which the globe gores are oriented. This is further explained as follows in Measuring the Sky — A Quick Guide to the Celestial Sphere, by Jim Kaler http://stars.astro.illinois.edu/celsph.html (emphasis added):
The extension of the Earth’s rotation axis to the sky defines the North and South Celestial Poles (the NCP and SCP), while the extension of the Earth’s equatorial plane defines the celestial equator. The NCP is in the constellation Ursa Minor (the Smaller Bear) close to the direction of the star Polaris, otherwise called the North Star. The SCP is in the modern constellation Octans, the Octant, in the general direction of the faint southern pole star Sigma Octantis (Polaris Australis).
The perpendiculars to the ecliptic plane define the ecliptic poles. The North Ecliptic Pole (NEP) is in Draco, the South Ecliptic Pole (SEP) in Dorado.
The Delamarche family and successors were the most renowned and prolific producers of armillary spheres in France from the late 18th century to the late 19th century. The firm was founded by Charles-François Delamarche in the late 18th century, as successor to Jean Fortin and the remainder of the workshop of the Robert de Vaugondy family, who had been map and globe makers to King Louis XVI. Delamarche first worked in the Rue du Foin St. Jacques, moving to 13 Rue du Jardinet about 1800 — the latter being the address on the offered globe. According to Globes of the Western World, the Delamarche firm was the first French globe maker to pursue the educational market and produce affordable globes for the general public. They continued production for most of the 19th century, under the management of Delamarche’s son Félix and other successors.
Cartouche, terrestrial globe, in Indian Ocean: GLOBE/ TERRESTRE/ DRESSÉ/ pav F’x. Delamarche/ Succ’r. de R. DE VAUGONDY./ 1835/ Gravé par Barrière frères/ Ecrit par Pelicier
Cartouche, terrestrial globe, in South Pacific: A PARIS/ chez L’AUTEUR Ingénieur Mécanicien/ pour les Globes et Sphères/ Rue du Jardinet/ No. 13.
Cartouche, celestial globe: Par le S. Robert de Vaugondy
Condition: Generally very good with the usual overall light toning, handling, wear. Few minor scattered, cracks, abrasions, losses, all professionally restored.
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. p. 321.
Dekker, Elly and van der Krogt, Peter. Globes from the Western World. London: Zwemmer, 1993 p. 63.
Lamb, Tom and Collins, Jeremy. The World in Your Hands: An Exhibition of Globes and Planetaria. London: Christie’s, 1994. p. 50.
“Terrestrial Table Globe.” Royal Museums Greenwich. http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections/objects/19803.html (28 June 2018).
