What do you think of when you hear the word Globe? In the past if the word globe was to come up in conversation it would be understood that it was a globe of the earth. Today if the word globe comes into a conversation it can cause confusion as to the meaning. It seems that an explanation such as, a world globe, earth globe, globe map, etc. is needed. If it is not clarified there might me a pause in the conversation as the person tries to decide what is meant.
The world was thought to be flat before 1450. The astronomer, Nicholas Copernicus, proved that the sun was the center of the solar system and also that the sun, earth and the moon had a round shape. Copernicus invented the first globe to help him demonstrate his ideas. This was a globe map of the world.
Although the earliest known globe map was made by a scholar whose name was Crates of Mallus about 150 BC, the oldest existing terrestrial globe map was constructed by Martin Behaim who was a German mapmaker, navigator, and also a merchant. He made a globe map called the “Nuremburg Terrestrail Globe.” It took him nearly one year to construct the globe map, beginning in 1491. It cost about $75. The map drawings were created by an artist by the name of Glockenthon, with the use of Martin Behaim’s specifications. His globe map is now in the German National Museum in Nuremburg.
The use of globes has come a long way as globes were mostly used in schools, offices, museums, and in homes. The association was to education and they looked educational. The style, size, and color were limited. Globes have been known to be a man’s gift. They are now for both genders and all ages. There are now globes that capture the constellations and those that have the planet earth in the middle of the constellations. There are globes that show the earth’s dark and light sides. They are designed for modern d
Leave a Reply