This is a large celestial globe on a round plastic base. The base is brown, with a black rim. The brown section of the base is mottled in texture. There is a central support, slightly narrower towards the top which supports a metal ring, the meridian, which runs all the way around the the globe. This is broader on the outside and on it the inside has a scale, graduated in degrees, shown in raised lines, on both sides. At the top of this ring is the word “LATITUDE”.
Running around the equator of the globe is there is a broad wooden horizontal ring (the horizon band). This has a paper label stuck to its upper surface and divided into various concentric rings. The outermost ring is divided into even segments labelled with the months. Inside this there are rounded rectangles of even size labelled with the names of the zodiac constellations. Inside this there is a narrower ring labelled with the cardinal directions. Inside this, there are a pair of narrower rings segmented in tens of degrees. The outer ring is labelled “AZIMUTH FROM NORTH POINT”, the other “AZIMUTH”.
The globe itself is pale blue-green and covered with strips of paper narrower at the top and bottom (gores) fitted together to form a spherical image. The globe depicts the celestial sky, with stars depicted as black dots or star shapes; important stars are surrounded in yellow. Some constellations are outlined, former the structure of the constellation, and labelled in Latin. Some major stars are labelled. The celestial equator and ecliptic–which is labelled with zodiac constellations–are also shown as a thick, segmented line. The globe is covered with a regular grid; shown as slightly thicker lines are the equinoctial and solstitial colures.
At the top of the the globe there is a circular metal piece, a portion of which is inset from the rest. This is graduated into 24 portions and marked with the numbers 1 through 12 twice. One side is marked “A.M.” the other “P.M.”
Accession Number: 2019.ast.271
Alternative Name:
Plastic, Metal: Iron Alloy, Wood, Paper, Plaster[?]
On a cartouche on the globe: “16 INCH
CELESTIAL GLOBE
Published by
DENOYER GEPPERT CO.
5235 Ravenswood Avenue
Chicago
Copyright”
On the circular metal piece at the top of the globe: “DENOYER-GEPPERT CO. CHICAGO, ILL.
PATENTED”
On the paper scale affixed to the horizon band: “DENOYER-GEPPERT”
Dimensions (cm):
This globe was likely designed to teach students about the features of the night sky, and to do basic astronomical calculations.
Good: The base of the globe is slightly worn. The meridian ring of the globe is dirty on the outside and the enamel coating of the ring around the base is scratched in places. There are scratches and marks around the horizon band edge. The paper scale affixed to the globe is in poor condition: in many places it is ripped and separating from the wood. In some places it is has been torn and is missing completely.
The surface of the globe is dirty, and marked, and its varnished surface somewhat cracked and damaged in places, revealing lighter coloured underneath. The paper gores are in good condition are fixed to the globe surface. There are some significant scratches and marks on the surface of the globe; however, these are all superficial.
Associated Instruments:
Manufacturer: Denoyer-Geppert Co., Chicago
Date of Manufacture: Mid-20th Century
This globe was likely purchased for teaching by the Department of Physics or the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Toronto. In the 2000s, it was found in a room in the McLennan Physical Laboratories building on the U of T St George campus, and moved to the Astronomy Library for storage and display.
Additional Information and References:
Historical Notes:
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