George Franklin Cram was a civil war veteran who marched with Sherman prior to his career as a map publisher. In 1867, George F. Cram and his uncle, Rufus Blanchard, founded the company Blanchard & Cram in Evanston, IL. The company manufactured and sold maps and atlases. Cram became the sole owner two years later and renamed it the George F. Cram Company. They sold a wide variety of atlases including the popular Unrivaled Atlas of the World which was printed continuously from the 1880s to 1952. In 1921, George Cram sold his business to one of his largest customers, E.A. Peterson of the National Map Company. The company is to this day producing quality maps and globes.

This quaint terrestrial desk globe is constructed with 12 lithograph, coated paper gores over pasteboard. Raised on an offset central axis mounted on a single short, angled metal pillar held by a round metal stand. The oceans are finished in turquoise with the locations of the Prime Meridian and the International Date Line shown. The names and direction of the currents of all the oceans and seas are in white. This example, with a time dial at the North Pole, shows Indochina, Manchuria. The Sargasso Sea is prominently displayed in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, and an analemma is located in the South Pacific. Notations at the north and south poles state the years and methods of travel for individuals who first explored those regions. The simple title cartouche located in the Indian Ocean indicates this globe is from catalog No. 90.

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Condition: B

The clear coating has yellowed, and there is some soiling. The adhesive label that marks the Equator is chipped off in one section. Several small abrasions and spots exist.