Pair of Globes by Dudley Adams

A masterpiece of both cabinetmaking and mechanical engineering, this one-of-a-kind expanding table was crafted by the renowned cabinetmaker Samuel Hawkins of London for the Great Exhibition of 1851. Diminutive in size, the fascinating table was designed as a model to demonstrate Hawkins’ innovative patent screw movement to visitors of the Exhibition – six million people in total over five months. It was exhibited again a century later at the Victoria & Albert Museum during the Festival of Britain, an event intended “to symbolise two main qualities of the national character: realism and strength on the one hand, and, on the other, independence and imagination” (Catalogue of the Exhibition, 1951, p.117). To this day, the miniature masterpiece demonstrates the quest of English furniture makers to combine technical innovation with superb craftsmanship. Displaying exceptional ingenuity, Hawkins’ wind-out screw mechanism allowed one to extend the table’s base to accommodate concentric leaves with the simple crank of a handle. It is based on the inventive expanding table originally designed by Robert Jupe in 1835, which used a swivel mechanism to separate sections of the tabletop and allow for segmented leaves to be inserted. Hawkins’ tabletop, on the other hand, extends outwards directly from the center in order to accommodate additional leaves around its diameter. This unique design allowed the mechanism to also smoothly operate on rectangular tables, which could be wound out from the middle to allow for more table space. Hawkins was not alone in his endeavor to combine the technical merits of engineering and mechanics with the most artful pursuit of cabinetmaking. The first half of the 19th century saw a prolific increase in the popularity of applying new ideas to traditional furniture principles, which allowed furniture to serve many purposes. The resulting “patent” furniture was practical and refined, though few were as innovative as Hawkins’ prodigious design. Carved with the year of the Exhibition on the beautifully designed pedestal base, the table is a testament to the significance of this innovation. The model is mentioned in detail in the catalog of the Great Exhibition of 1851, the first international exhibition of industry, manufacturing, and science. Held at London’s dazzling Crystal Palace, its visitors were treated to exhibits from around the globe, including feats of engineering, innovations in industry, and marvels of design. Queen Victoria herself was a frequent visitor, along with her husband, Prince Albert, and others including Charlotte...

An invaluable addition to the 19th century home, this domestic medicine chest contained nearly everything needed to nurse a member of the house...

Made for one of the most celebrated sports figures of the 20th century, this incredible Cartier presentation tray was gifted to the baseball star Joe DiMaggio...

A rare and exceptional trophy, won by the thoroughbred personality at the 1970 Wood Memorial Stakes race held at the Aqueduct Racetrack. Beautifully craf...

Considered the first step into the world of modern photocopying, the copying machine was among the first widely used devices to successfully produce an ex...

"The Immortal Memory of Lord Nelson and those who fell with him" — Queen Elizabeth II’s toast on October 21, 2005, at the official Battle of Trafalgar Bicentennial dinner In 2005, the United Kingdom marked the bicentenary of the Battle of Trafalgar in grand fashion. Celebrations included memorable speeches by Queen Elizabeth II, awe-inspiring re-enactments of the renowned battle and extraordinary artwork commissions. This silver-gilt creation, one of the exceptional commissions to honor the bicentennial, represents an unprecedented collaboration of the best artists and craftsmen of their day. As one of only five of its kind ever made, this remarkable silver-gilt commemorative casket immortalizes Lord Horatio Nelson's legacy in captivating form. The objet d'art intentionally evokes a graceful wave with its artfully crafted curved sides and bracket feet. The front showcases a hand-painted enamel portrait of General Horatio Nelson, exquisitely rendered on 18K gold by Gillie Hoyte Byrom. Turning the casket reveals a compelling scene of the legendary Battle of Trafalgar painted by Commander Geoff Hunt...

Trout & Salmon pictures by Douglas Adams. A pair of coloured fishing engravings by Douglas Adams. Both angling pictures framed in original old frames and titled, Salmon Fishing - A ...

A pair of 16-inch floor standing globes by Gilman Joslin, each set into a cast-iron tripod base with an acanthus-leaf baluster support on three b...

Pair Of Large Antique Italian Globes Large pair of terrestrial and celestial globes from Italy 1940s. The globes are in good conditio...

A pair of desk globes by J. Cary “Cary’s New Terrestrial Globe delineated from the best Authorities extant; exhibiting the late discoveries toward the North Pole and every improve...

Pair of 12-inch table globes John and William Cary London, 1798 and 1800 Some restored cracks and abrasions lb 11 each (kg 5) The two terrestrial and celestial globes rest in their original Dutch style stands with four supporting turned wood columns. Each one measures 18 in in height x 17 in in diameter with the diameter of the spheres measuring about 12 in; 46 cm in height x 43 cm in diameter x 31 cm diameter of the spheres. The 12 inch measure was one of the most frequently used by British manufacturers of globes of this period. Each globe is composed of two series of twelve printed paper gores, aligned and glued onto plaster spheres. The brass circle of the meridian bears engravings...

A wonderful set of Terrestrial and Celestial 12 inch globes by George Philip and Son. Presented on brass inclined plain mounts attached to original turned ebonized wooden bases and uprights with axes secured at the top by brass acorn finials. Unusually, the terrestrial globe has a copyright date shown under the cartouche, 1946. The celestial globe is printed in beige against a dark blue background and shows the constellations and many named stars. Solid lines connect the stars within constellations rather than illustrating them as mythological and other figures.? A cartouche is present that includes the title and maker's address. When looking at the stars from Earth the viewpoint is effectively inside a celestial sphere. The surface of a celestial globe shows the star field as a projection viewed from the outside and is therefore reversed, with the constellations appearing as their mirror images. The terrestrial globe is printed in several colours and comprises of twelve coated lithographic paper gores with polar calottes over a twelve inch card sphere. The age of the globe has been confirmed by the political borders and named cities displayed. The globe is nicely detailed and has a grid network of parallels and meridians. It shows all the continents and countries as they were at the time it was printed and also indicates all the principal steamship routes with distances in nautical miles. The globe also has a printed Analemma - a diagram showing the declination of the Sun for every day in the year and the equation of time. The Analemma therefore shows the position of the Sun in the sky as seen from a fixed location on Earth at the same mean solar time, as the sun's position varies over the course of a year. A cartouche is present that includes the title and maker's address. Dimensions of each globe: 30.5 cm/12 inches (diameter) x 59 cm/23 1/4 inches (max height). George Philip, (1800–1882) was a cartographer and map publisher. He founded George Philip & Sons in 1834 in Liverpool primarily as a bookseller and stationer, but rapidly expanding to become a publisher of primarily maps, atlases and educational works. He had one son, also George (1823–1902), who was admitted to the business in 1848. George senior was born in Huntly, Aberdeenshire and by 1819 he had become assistant to the Liverpool bookseller, William Grapel before going on to start his own business. He used cartographers (such as John Bartholomew the elder, August Petermann, and William Hughes) to produce maps on copper plates. Philip then had these printed and hand-coloured by his women tinters. The business expanded rapidly and by the time he produced his county maps of 1862 he was using machine...