An early Victorian 36-inch terrestrial library globe by John Addison and G & J Cary circa 1840

The, Terraqueous Globe, exhibiting, the present state of the known, World, published under the immediate patronage of, & dedicated by permission to, His Most Gracious Majesty George IV, by, John Addison, London; manufactured and sold by G & J Cary, 86 St. James`s Street, London, made up of twenty-four hand-coloured engraved gores laid on a hollow plaster-coated sphere, the equatorial graduated in degrees and subdivided to two minutes, labelled every 10°, with hours I-XII(x2), the Greenwich meridian ungraduated, the equinoctial colure graduated in degrees and subdivided into two minutes labelled every 5°, the ecliptic graduated  for individual days and labelled with months, five day intervals and zodiacal sigils, the engraved horizon paper graduated in degrees of amplitude and azimuth and labelled with thirty-two compass points, brass hour dial, brass meridian ring graduated in four quadrants; on a mahogany stand with curved scroll shaped supports, raised on a concave sided trefoil platform 

The Property of Jesus College, Oxford.

Supplied to the Rev. Thomas Davies of Jesus College, Oxford by G & J Cary, 21st July 1840 at a cost of £41 2s. 0d. and sold with a copy of the original invoice.

Peter Van Der Krogt, Old Globes in the Netherlands, p.45-46; Elly Dekker, Globes at Greenwich, p.525-526.

Good original untouched condition. Some old marks and scratches consistent with age and use. Three quadrant brackets missing. Brass tarnished. Top cracked, plaster damage to North Pole. General wear with some minor staining.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This rare and important globe is a previously unrecorded re-issue of John Addison's famous Terraqueous globe of circa 1825. It is well known that Thomas Malby re-issued the globe in 1849 and James Wyld further issued it in the 1860's togther with a celestial globe of the same size. However, there appears to be no previous record of this globe being made by the Cary family of globe and map makers.

George (1788-1859) and John (1791-1852) Cary were the sons of John Cary (1755-1835). John(I) was apprenticed to Wiliam Palmer, an engraver, in 1770 and became a Freeman of the Goldsmiths' Company in 1778. From about 1782 he set up business as an engraver and map seller in Fleet Street. By 1791 John(I) was in partnership with his brother William (1759-1825) producing globes at 181 Strand.  William also continued his own separate business as an instrument maker at 182 and 272 Strand. In 1820 John(I) moved to 86 St James Street and William moved into 181 Strand joined, in 1822, by George and John(II) who became globe makers and sellers. After the deaths of their father and uncle, George and John continued the business at both 181 Strand and 86 St James Street. Following John's death in 1852, 181 Strand was sold to an optician, Henry Gould. The globe making business had previously been taken over by George Crutchley. 

Little is known of John Addison other than he was a globe maker by Royal Appointment to King George IV and that by circa 1825 he occupied premises at 275 Strand.

There is no doubt that John Addison and the Cary family would have been known to one another but quite how the Cary's came to issue the Addison globe is unclear. The cartography of the Cary globe is largely that of Addison but with a number of additions including the discovery of Victoria Land by Dease and Simpson along the north Canadian coast between 1837 and 1839. However, the Antartic discoveries of Ross in 1841 and 1842 are not recorded.