In a first for an Australian collecting institution, two pairs of rare floor globes have been acquired by the National Library of Australia.The two pairs of terrestrial and celestial globes, purchased from a New York gallery, were produced between 1799 and 1825 by leading globe-makers of the time, J&W Cary. One of the large terrestrial globes has just been installed in the National Library’s new Treasures Gallery. It shows the tracks of discovery by James Cook and others.
Curator of Maps at the National Library, Dr Martin Woods, said the acquisition was significant because the presence of such globes in Australian collecting institutions was uncommon.
