The New York herald., 1922-02-19

day, and that they were regarded as
Of much value in the study OF geo.
graphy and astronomy, particularly
of the latter science" The Farnese
globe, however, is the only one which
has come down to modern man from
that far off time. 1t is of marble, and
Is believed to date from about 800 g.
C. The MohamncdanS were keenly
interested in astronomy. and perhaps
for that reason constructed many
celestial globes during the so-caiied
Christian Middle Ages. though II Is
doubtful whether they made ter
restrial globes.
The expansion of European activi-
ties toward the East and tho west
ward voyages OF Columbus caused
the sixteenth century to open with
greatly accelerated interest in geo.
graphy. Makers Of plane maps be-
came more and more active. as did
makers of globes. Copper spheres.
globes Of metal covered with en-
gravcd maps. globes to which were
affixed manuscript maps and others
appeared IN increasing numbers. And
from that period down to recent times
The globe was recognized as an i'm
portant adjunct to education-to gem
eral enlightenment. OF. course. the
geographers of antiquity hesitated to
accept as true the idea OF a globular
earth. and the Pythagorean phiioso-
piers appears as the first learned
ren to suggest that a theory already
accepted as to spherical form of the
heavens also might apply to the
earth. Their idea of a glObular earth
was the one which Aristotle defended
from a philosophers standpoint. Gen.
GRAFTON after generation, century
after century. men studied and re-
fiected about the strange world they
lived in; some of the globes repro
duced in illustration showing how
limited was their real knowledge. In
Europe, In the Orient and elsewhere
were thoughtful minds. in every age.
trying to solve the problem of the ex-
tent and shape and purpose OF this
planet. And their progress. often i'm
perfect, now and then interrupted,
forms the story of human effort and
final attainment which DR.. Stevenson
relates so carefully and with such
painstaking interest.
Some OF the earlier globes were
works of high artistic excellence. In
1900. for example. the Zurich gold
smith. Abraham Gessner, manufac-
tured globe goblets. not in response
to orders therefor but as q regular
part of his trade. Because rich mer-
chants and scholars of wealth took
such lively interest in geography he
was able to sell all lie produced. par
ticularly because they were such fin
ished examples of the goldsmith's
art-in design, modelling. casting,
embossing. chasing. engraving and
solid gliding. One Of these. Illus
trated in DIR. Stevenson's book. Is de-
scribed as follows:
"The goblet is 5S en-. in height. It's
larger globe. terrestrial. is COM
posed of two hemisphercs Joined on
the equator. and has a diameter of
II cm. The support Is standing
figure of Atlas. which also serves as
stem of the lower half of the
goblet, just as the celestial sphere
with its support. which tops the
piece. serves as the stem OF the up
per half or upper goblet. The oceans.
lakes and rivers have a silver sur
face. while the continents. islands, sea
monsters. sailing vessels. principal
parallels and meridians are giided.
The continents of Europe. Asia and
Africa and the terra australis sive
Magallancla' have their outlines
drawn in the main as they appear on
Mercator's map OF 1859.
THE celestial globe topping the
goblet is given an artistic setting. 1t
Is furnished with horizon, meridian
and hour circles. The several con-
stelations represented on the sur
face of the sphere are. through gid
ing, given special prominence. their
execution. like other parts of the
piece. being of the finest workman
shin