Object Description
A Rare George III pocket globe by T. Harris and Son, London, 1813. Housed in the original sharkskin case.
A fascinating and rare item in wonderful condition.
The terrestrial globe inscribed ‘New Terrestrial Globe By T.Harris and Sons 1813’ rotates on its axes inside a hinged black shagreen case. The concave interior of the case applied with the engraved celestial charts of the Northern and Southern skies and depictions of the symbols of Zodiac.
The Harris family — Thomas Harris (d. 1837) and his son William Harris (1797-1846) — were London opticians who also sold and later produced terrestrial and celestial globes. Initially, Thomas Harris was principally an optician and mathematical instrument maker. He was joined, and then succeeded, by William in the early 19th century. According to scholar Elly Dekker, Harris & Son was in business from 1802 to 1907. The firm is known to have sold a Lane pocket globe, dated 1809 under the name Harris, 47 Holborn. A different extant table globe was produced by the firm under the name W. Harris, 22 Cornhill, London. In 1820, as Thomas Harris and Son, the firm produced “A New Celestial Globe,” 12 inches in diameter. According to the cartouche of that globe the firm marketed itself as “Opticians and Globe Makers; To his Majesty and their Royal Highnesses The Dukes of Kent and Sussex.” At that time the firm’s address was 52 Great Russell Street, Bloomsbury, London.
See my other listings for a celestial globe by Cary.