Exceptional and Rare pair of early 19th Century Thomas Harris and Son Miniature desk Globes

This is an Exceptionally Rare pair of early 19th Century English miniature globes, by Thomas Harris and Son, Opticians and Globe Makers to his Majesty, and the Dukes of Kent and Sussex, 52 Great Russell Street’. Despite their royal patronage, remarkably few of their miniature globes appear to have survived. Each globe with 12 hand-colored engraved gores, circular title cartouche, brass hour circle at northern pole, brass meridian ring, graduated on one face, hand-colored engraved horizon ring with zodiac and calendar scales, marked New Terrestrial Globe and New Celestial Globe, mahogany baluster stand with cross-stretchers supporting center-post, with printed and inscribed Ann and Gordon Getty Collection inventory label 

51⁄4 in. (13.3 cm.) high, 45⁄8 in. (11.7 cm.) diameter, overall

The terrestrial globe has 12 hand-colored engraved gores. Land masses are colored pink, green and yellow with thick outlines in slightly darker shades. Oceans are colored green. California is shown as a peninsula and west of the Mississippi only shows areas generally labeled Louisiana, New Albion and New Mexico. The Great Wall of China (“Chinese Wall”) is indicated. The North Pole and The South Pole as so labeled. No land is shown in Antarctica, reflecting known geography at the time. Australia is called New Holland. Oceans are labeled: the Pacific as “North Pacific Ocean” and “South Pacific Ocean;” the Atlantic as the “North Atlantic Ocean,” “South Atlantic Ocean;” and “Ethiopic Ocean,” and the Indian Ocean as the “Indian Sea” and “Eastern Ocean.” The ecliptic is graduated in days and shows the symbols of the houses of the zodiac. The concave celestial hemispheres inside the case illustrate the constellations as figures of classical mythology and as scientific instruments in black outline against a solid green background.

The Harris family — Thomas Harris (d. 1837) and his son William Harris (1797-1846) — were London opticians who also sold and later produced terrestrial and celestial globes. 
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Circa 1815-20.

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Price

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance

Condition report