1938 Crams floor globe

     I own only one floor globe, a beautiful 1938 Crams political reality 16 inch globe. It is the newest globe as well as the largest globe in my collection.   The only globe I have ever successfully purchased in an antiques store. Actually an antiques mall.  It was 7 years ago and I was browsing the aisles of the Ontario antique mall in Canandaigua NY.  I walked by this globe and I was drawn to it, you might say I fell into it's orbit....  I looked at this thing,  walked away,  came back,  studied it, tried to date it with my limited geography knowledge, The best I could place it was pre WW2. I found my wife and showed her the globe she was impressed by it's condition, so we bought it.

1938 Crams floor globe 16 inch

     I was hooked on globes from that moment on, I remember I bought this globe early in the day of what was an all day finger lakes region antiques shopping trip, but I could not wait for the day to be over, and get home so that I could study this globe more.
     I studied this globe I learned all I could about the maker  ( Crams) as well as when it was made. I was able to date it by the European geography, this globe is indeed a snapshot of time it depicts an annexed Austria, as well as an annexed Czechoslovakia but a free Poland.  That puts it's manufacture after September 1938 but before Winter 1939  So I call it a 1938  or is it an early 1939  either way it shows Americas view of a world on the brink of war before our active involvement.  What would a German globe from 1939 look like?....   Here is a close up of Europe: late 1938

Europe on the brink of war.

     I mentioned that I only have one floor globe, obviously these are great statement making globes to have but space becomes a consideration when you start having too many large globes.  In fact I have noticed that sometimes in an auction setting an otherwise great floor globe will not perform as well as a similar desk globe just because of the space requirement eliminates some otherwise interested buyers.

     This globe got me hooked, but I'll tell you I could not have become a real globe enthusiast shopping for antique globes the way I found this one.  This globe was a fluke I was in the right place at the right time, because in 7 more years of antique stores, estate sales, and flea markets, I have seen precious few globes that I would consider collector quality.  The Internet enables this hobby.  I have had interesting conversations with another collector about the Internet, and we have both come to the conclusion that amassing a collection of globes would take an unbelievable amount of work and time without the Internet.   

     In my next post I want to explore globes on the Internet specifically Ebay.       

as always, comment, discuss, disagree with me!  all are welcome!