Social History — 1820-1850
Globe, pocket globe
This terrestrial pocket globe was made by R.B. Bate, who had a shop on the Poultry in the City of London. His workshop employed around twenty people. Bate had a varied career manufacturing scientific, mathematical and optical instruments. He was elected Master of the Spectaclemakers' Company in 1828. In 1830 he became the sole chart agent to the Admiralty. He also published the Nautical Magazine, a monthly periodical dedicated to navigation launched in 1832.
Pocket globes were largely made for the novelty market in this period. This one is a typical example featuring a celestial map of the constellations inside a fish skin case. Captain James Cook's death place at Kealakekua Bay in Hawaii is also marked, a common feature of English globes of all types at this time.
- Category:
- Social History
- Object ID:
- A8132
- Object name:
- globe, pocket globe
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- Bate, Robert Brettell
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
21 Poultry, City of London, London [City of London], City of London
- Production date:
- 1820-1850
- Material:
wood, paper, fishskin
- Measurements/duration:
- DM 87 mm, H 90 mm (case), DM 78 mm, H 85 mm (globe)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
To license this image for commercial use, please contact the London Museum Picture Library.