Antique globes, Currier & Ives prints distinguish Swann June 3 auction

Early 17th century Italian celestial globe, estimated at $15,000-$20,000
Early 17th century Italian celestial globe, estimated at $15,000-$20,000
Early 17th century Italian celestial globe, estimated at $15,000-$20,000

NEW YORK — Swann Galleries’ June 3 sale of Maps & Atlases, Natural History & Color Plate Books will feature world cartography with an emphasis on American maps, works from prolific printmakers and ornithologists. Absentee and Internet live bidding will be available through LiveAuctioneers.

Continue reading

Antique globes put a new spin on our world view

Pair of Victorian mahogany library globes, Newton & Son, London, circa 1838, sold for $22,000. Image courtesy Hindman
Pair of Victorian mahogany library globes, Newton & Son, London, circa 1838, sold for $22,000. Image courtesy Hindman

At its most basic, a globe is a carefully designed and printed map that’s been glued to a ball and installed in a decorative display stand. Creating the map is the hardest part, because it’s a two-dimensional object that must approximate a three-dimensional world. Continue reading