Pair of George III 3 inch pocket globes by J & W Cary, one dated 1791

The terrestrial globe is applied with 12 engraved and hand-coloured gores and signed in a circular cartouche ‘Cary’s Pocket Globe, Agreeable to the Latest Discoveries. Pubd. by J. & W. Cary, Strand, April 1791’.  It is housed in a hinged shagreen case closed by a brass hook and lined with a hand-coloured engraved map of the ‘world as known in CÆSAR’s Time agreeable to D’Anville’ and ‘A Table of Latitudes & Longitudes of Places not given on this globe’.  The celestial globe also has 12 hand-painted gores and is signed in a rectangular panel ‘New Celestial Globe by J. & W. Cary Strand’.  Its hinged shagreen case (cracked) is fitted with two hooks and eyes and has a lacquered orange interior.

Diameter of globes: 3in (78 mm)

Literature: E. Dekker, Globes at Greenwich, Oxford and Greenwich, 1999, GLB0001 describes a similar globe thus “Cook’s three voyages are extensively documented. The track of Constantine Phipp’s voyage to the north (with young Horatio Nelson on board, though of course not mentioned) is labelled: Phipps 1773“.

The celebrated Cary family of cartographers and globe makers produced some of the greatest late Georgian globes.  The firm was started in London in the late 18th century by John Cary (c1754-1835), an engraver and dealer in maps who often worked in partnership with his brother, William Cary (c1760-1825), a scientific instrument maker.  John Cary concentrated on geographical excellence rather than on decoration.  In about 1820 the Cary brothers moved their business to 86 St. James’s Street, leaving the premises at 181 Strand to John Cary’s son, George (c1788-1859) and John Jr. (1791-1852) who traded as G. & J. Cary until about 1850.