You wouldn't believe it, since my knowledge of geography is terrible, but I happen to love maps and globes, especially lovely vintage ones. On my weekly G-Dub (my local Goodwill store) trip, I found this cute little four inch, transfer-painted steel globe, with a delicious patina.
As soon as I get home, I hop online to see what I can learn about my vintage finds. There were a few clues on the globe to help date it: Leningrad, named in 1924, following the death of Lenin; Persia, officially renamed Iran in 1935; Siam changed to Thailand in 1939; and Korea was known as Chosen under Japanese rule from 1910-1045.
Well, to make a long story short, the little child's desk globe was made by Ohio Art Company, in Bryan, Ohio, in 1928. They're fairly rare, and as far as I can tell, sell in the $30-$60 range. How much did I pay? $8.99. A little on the high end, for G-Dub, but I felt a certain spiritual connection. It looks very much at home on my desk. I'm always amazed at the size of the Atlantic...
When we contemplate the whole globe
as one great dewdrop, striped and dotted
with continents and islands,
flying through space with other stars
all singing and shining together as one,
the whole universe appears as an infinite storm of beauty.
― John Muir
Bravo Tess!!
ReplyDeleteWe love maps over here but have no globes, hmmm. Must remedy.
I have always thought Siam and Persia were more romantic sounding. Why did they ever change?
In grade school, the way I remembered which country Persia became was by saying the sentence "I ran away from Persia" - hadn't thought of that in years :)
PS - really like that quote!
ReplyDeleteGood find.
ReplyDeleteCaught my eye, because a pregnant girl in our office told me she wants to do a "travel-themed" nursery for her little boy, and I've got on my list this exact thing to look for...I love globes, too--nice find.
ReplyDeleteYou find such INTERESTING things!
ReplyDeleteThat globe is excellent in more ways than can really be expressed... in price, how like a sale! In patina, how like a god! The only thing that could make it any better would be if R.A.D. were holding it. I think I've got a serious R.A.D. crush going here...
ReplyDeleteI am green with envy - what a lovely little globe.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on the wonderful find!! Maps and globes are my passion.
ReplyDeleteOh, what a beauty! I've always wanted one of those big floor globes -- not terribly practical. Yours is just right.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great discovery, Tess, congratulations!
ReplyDeleteLove the John Muir quote, thank you!
Gorgeous -- both the globe and the Muir quote. I'm always AMAZED at all the quotes of Muir that ring so loudly and so true.
ReplyDeleteWhat a marvelous find! As a child I had a much smaller one, but it sure looks exactly like it, in a larger version! Lucky you!
ReplyDeleteKaren S., this one's very small...only four inches...I should have mentioned that in the post...it's really cute...
ReplyDeleteI love globes, too. That's a lovely one!
ReplyDeleteYou're right; it does have a beautiful patina. By the way... what does G-Dub actually stand for? Glorious but Dubious maybe? (not that there's anything dubious about your globe!)
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the world at your fingertips.
ReplyDeleteCro, G-Dub is just a silly name I call my local Goodwill store..."G" for "Good" and "Dub" for the "W" in "will"...I know...I'm not quite right in the head...
ReplyDeleteLooking at our world above the Pacific Ocean the planet appears entirely covered with water ...
ReplyDeleteLove maps. Sad though when I see fascinating names of places I will never visit. BTW, Iranians here in Oz are careful to refer to themselves as 'Persian'! I guess it they liked living under control of the Ayatollahs, they would still be in Iran.
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