History of giant spheres

Joshua Foer, Kircher Society blogger, prepared an interesting article for Cabinet Magazine surveying notable moments in the history of giant spheres. The spheres he showcases range from a sculptural fountain to a giant ball of twine to the Bathysphere, a submersible in the form of a 4.75-foot steel ball. Seen here is the Gottorp Globe, a 17th century planetarium.

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From Foer's article, titled "A Minor History of Giant Spheres":

1664

The Gottorp Globe, the world's first modern planetarium, is completed in Germany. The hollow sphere, ten feet in diameter, is turned by water power; it has a map of the constellations on the interior and a map of the world on the outside. In 1714, it is given as a gift to Peter the Great but is destroyed by fire in 1747. The reconstructed globe, stolen by the Germans in World War II and recovered by US troops, now resides at the St. Petersburg Kunstkammer.

Link


Previously on BB:
• Foer's History of miniature writing Link