Keith on the Globes - 1835
0 of 0
Keith on the Globes - 1835
Source: ChatGPT
You’ve picked up a really nice example of a 19th-century educational science book—and one that sits right at the intersection of geography, astronomy, and practical navigation.
Here’s how to understand what you have:
📘 The Book Itself
Title: A New Treatise on the Use of the Globes
Author: Thomas Keith
Edition shown: 1835 (London)
Publisher: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman
This wasn’t a niche academic work—it was a widely used teaching textbook in Britain and beyond, especially in the early 1800s.
🎯 What “Use of the Globes” Means
“Globes” refers to both:
- Terrestrial globes (Earth)
- Celestial globes (stars and constellations)
The book teaches how to use them to solve real problems like:
- Determining latitude and longitude
- Understanding day/night and seasons
- Predicting sunrise, sunset, and tides
- Learning basic astronomy and meteorology
Think of it as a hands-on manual for understanding the universe—using physical globes as computational tools.
🧠 Why This Book Matters
This kind of book was central to education before modern maps and digital tools:
- It reflects a world where navigation and astronomy were practical skills
- It shows how people reasoned spatially before calculators or software
- It blends science + pedagogy + visualization, which fits nicely with your Pixeum interests
Also notable:
- The subtitle emphasizes “figure, magnitude, and motion of the Earth”
- It includes problems and exercises—so it’s interactive, not just descriptive
- It was “designed for the instruction of youth” → essentially a high-level school text
🖼️ The Fold-Out Plates (Important)
Your listing mentions 7 fold-out plates, which is a big deal.
These plates typically include:
- Armillary spheres (mechanical models of the heavens)
- Geometric diagrams for solving problems
- Celestial sphere projections
- Instrument diagrams like the one you showed
Collectors care about:
- Whether all plates are present
- Their condition (no tears at folds)
- Sharpness of the engravings
📚 About Thomas Keith
- Scottish mathematician and educator (late 18th–early 19th century)
- Wrote several textbooks on:
- Geography
- Astronomy
- Arithmetic
- Known for making complex concepts teachable
His books were part of a broader movement: standardizing scientific education during the Industrial Revolution
💰 Value & Collectibility
At £60 ($75–80), this looks:
- Reasonable to slightly good value, assuming:
- All plates are present
- Binding is intact
- No major foxing or water damage
These are not ultra-rare, but they are:
- Highly collectible as teaching artifacts
- Appealing to:
- Map collectors
- Science history enthusiasts
- Interior/design buyers (they display beautifully)
🧭 Why It Might Fit Your “Mistakes on Maps” World
This book represents something subtle but powerful:
👉 It’s from a time when people believed they could fully systematize and master the Earth and heavens through tools and geometry.
That mindset directly feeds into:
- Overconfidence in maps
- Elegant systems that later prove incomplete
- The gap between model vs. reality (a recurring theme in your show)
👍 Bottom Line
You’ve got:
- A solid 19th-century scientific textbook
- With visual plates that are the real star
- Representing the educational infrastructure behind mapping and navigation
If you want, I can:
- Break down one of the plates (like the instrument you photographed)
- Or suggest how to turn this into a slide or short segment for your Fringe show (it actually fits nicely into a “tools vs truth” theme)
i45023
i45024Start screensaver
Please Choose seconds per image
Start Exhibit Story at specific step
Loop Exhibit Story
Choose duration for A step
Choose duration for B step
Choose zoom-in animation time
Choose zoom-out animation time
Finalise exhibit story
| Step & Preview | Auto-play | Actions |
|---|
Place a DOT on the image