Is it a toy? Or a teaching tool? This little terrestrial globe comes from the city of Nuremberg in Germany, where the earliest terrestrial globes were made. They inspired many explorers, including Magellan (1480 -1521), the Portuguese navigator.

WHAT

Showing the world as it was known in the early 19th century, this little globe identifies colonial empires that have since disappeared.

WHERE

This object comes from the city of Nuremberg in Germany, where the oldest known terrestrial globe was made. This kind of object is still produced there.

WHEN

During the 19th century the production of terrestrial globes increased, and they became more affordable for ordinary people. This helped in the teaching of geography, as apparent in the picture on the box for this globe.

WHO

The German map-maker Martin Benhaim (1456-1506), from the city of Nuremberg, was one of the first to think of making a terrestrial globe.