This stunning pair of desk globes were produced by Wilson & Son's Co., James Wilson, a farmer and blacksmith, is widely considered the father of American globe-making. He was the first to manufacture globes in the United States, and taught himself geography and engraving.

These thirteen inch globes are each created with 12 copper engraved and hand colored gores on metal orbs. They are supported with a full bronze meridian and raised on four turned leg mahogany stands with central supports. Overall the globes stand 18" tall. The horizon bands feature a colored paper ring showing degrees of amplitude and azimuth, compass directions, days and months of the year, and the names of the signs of the zodiac.

The terrestrial globe shows excellent detail of the voyages of many famous navigators including Cook, Vancouver and La Perouse. Geographically, in North America the United States shows a large Arkansas and Missouri Territory, and the border with Canada is shown only as far as Montana. Texas is not labeled and is part of a large area of Mexico marked as "Internal Provinces.". In Africa, there is a "Chain of Mountains Supposed to extend across the Continent" and Australia is named both New Holland and Australasia. The globe title cartouche reads, "A New American Thirteen Inch/ Terrestrial Globe,/Exhibiting with the greatest possible Accuracy,/ The Positions of the Principal Known/ Places of the Earth;/ With the Tracks of various Circumnavigators, together with/ New Discoveries and Political Alterations down to/ the present Period: 1831/ By J. Wilson & Sons, Albany St. N.Y./S. Wood & Sons Agents N. York.

The celestial globe's delicately engraved skies are depicted with the larger constellations shown in allegorical form. In addition to the better-known constellations, the globe includes some lesser known ones, including Bootes, Corona Borealis, Camelopardalis, Perseus and the Head of Medusa. A circular title cartouche reads "A New/American/Celestial Globe/Containing the positions of nearly 5000/Stars, Clusters, Nebulae &c. Carefully compil’d/& laid down from the latest & most approv’d/astronomical tables reduced to the present/time/By J. Wilson & Sons/1831/Albany, ST. N.Y." This matched pair is an exceptional and rare find.

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Condition:

These beautiful globes with original color have benefited from professional restoration. Both globes have been revarnished. The celestial globe has four small repaired cracks and a few tiny areas of gore loss, but is overall in very good condition (A). The terrestrial globe has an impact area just below the title cartouche that has been professionally repaired, with a few minor areas in facsimile. The impact area also caused some cracking in North America and the Pacific Ocean that have been repaired, and a 1.5" repair spot in Mongolia (B). Both globes have some scattered foxing and staining as is normal for globes of this age. The stand, meridian and horizon are in excellent condition, and the stand is original with original finish.