Documenting the era of Industrialization of the world, the cast metal base of this globe represents what today is often called "steam punk" design. The gothic base offers ornate details in gold and black. The map of the globe is hand applied with twelve individual paper gores, sharing the world of 1868. An exquisite piece of art, one can view the dawn of a new imperial world as the Russian, newly formed German, Austrian and Chinese Empires are well documented. A young United States has just acquired Alaska, as many other states are still to develop. Only one, undivided Dakota is present. In South America the United States of Columbia are present as well as an Argentine Republic. If you desire a true museum artifact, you may consider this rarely obtainable artifact. History of the Globe maker: Josiah Holbrook and the Holbrook School Apparatus Company The story of the Weber Costello Company travels through several different companies with different names. It began in 1826 with Josiah Holbrook who believed that every student should have access to a globe in the classroom. So he began making inexpensive models in Connecticut. The company's motto was “… good enough for the best and cheap enough for the poorest.” Josiah Holbrook was a graduate of Yale in 1810 and was very interested in education. He created his own school in Derby, Connecticut, which focused on natural science and strengthened his interest in chemistry, mineralogy and geology. By 1826 he “… delivered a course of lectures on subjects in natural science ” and began a society dedicated to adult improvement, which he called the Lyceum lecture series located in Millbury, Massachusetts. This commitment to education led Holbrook to create affordable globes for school-aged students. Holbrook made various different celestial and terrestrial globe models as well as other school apparatus, such as geometric shapes and mathematical devices for counting. The family had since moved to Berea, Ohio, but the business struggled until 1844 when Josiah's son, Dwight, took over. After Josiah's death in 1854, Dwight moved back to Connecticut and named the business ‘Holbrook School Apparatus Co.’ here he managed the manufacture of all of Holbrook’s apparatus and organized the company into a stock corporation. “After June 1859, the company did not carry on the manufacture but employed [Dwight] Holbrook to manufacture under contracts made from time to time with the company, up to January 1st 1865.” One such contract made by Dwight Holbrook was with the Connecticut State Prison system, so that inmates could build the models and maintain the sale and marketing of inexpensive globes. The law stated that twenty-five inmates could work for five years manufacturing globes. The business took off when the Ohio School System purchased over 11,000 globes the first year. By 1860 over 550 of Connecticut's 1,600 district schools reported that they had purchased Holbrook models. In 1856, Holbrook opened a retail store in Chicago, but it did not change the primary focus to globe manufacture until Dwight's son, Charles Holbrook, took over in the 1860's. In a 2009 auction of one of Holbrook’s globes, the abstract stated, “Charles Holbrook, the final proprietor of the highly influential firm, advertised Holbrook's in the Teacher's Manual for Lunar Tellurian in 1888 as ‘… Three Generations and Sixty years in the Cause of Education.’” In the 1870s, the ‘Holbrook School Apparatus Company’ allowed a man named A. H. Andrews, who manufactured school furniture, to join in their Chicago retail business. Mr. Andrews was never an employee of Holbrook҆’s, which is contrary to what has been previously suspected. More likely, Andrews joined in with Holbrook to connect with the better-known entity of school manufacturing to gain status in his own right as a furniture maker. By the 1880s, the ‘Holbrook School Apparatus Company’ was extremely well known, but grandson Charles Holbrook was ready to retire. A. H. Andrews then took the reign from the Holbrook family, but kept the high standard of globe manufacturing. Andrews would continue to use the name Holbrook on his globes for many years to come until the Holbrook family went to court to prevent Andrews from further using their name on globes produced by his company. If one wishes to follow the evolution of Holbrook to Weber Costello, it was as following: Holbrook-Andrews- CF Weber- Weber Costello...and ended sometime in the late 1960s, when Weber Costello no longer produced Globes. The age of the globe has been based on activity of the manufacture and political borders displayed, which are as follows: Alaska has been recently obtained by the United States (1867). Dakota is not yet divided into North and South (1889)An Austrian (Hungarian) Empire is displayed (1868). WHat is to become Budapest is still shown as Pesht (1870). Description: The 8" diameter plaster and wood orb is covered by 12 individual, hand applied paper gores representing the world of 1868. Mounted into a solid brass full meridian which is cradled by a gothic styled cast metal base with wooden horizon ring. Total height is about 15.5 inches. Condition: Considering its age, this artifact is in remarkable condition. There is wear in form of rubbing and soiling, yet details are crisp. The coloring is warm with a perfectly aged patina. Some of the red has faded. A paper tear in China has apparently been repaired. The mount is also in good condition. Darkening to the brass meridian is present. The bracket holding the meridian shows signs of age. Some of the gold as well as black finish has flaked off, the cast metal underneath is exposed in those areas. The horizon ring lacks a decorative overlay. This is a true museum artifact. When shipped, it will be exceptionally well packed and double boxed. Domestic shipping will be $25.00. International $59.00 $2,297 - Item #: 0313HOLBRK68 - SOLD