How Old is Your Globe?
August 31, 2011 2:01 PM Subscribe
How Old is Your Globe?
I think this is a pretty neat idea but it wish it went a bit farther back in time.
I think this is a pretty neat idea but it wish it went a bit farther back in time.
My globe is so old...
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is flat.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 2:08 PM on August 31, 2011 [20 favorites]
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is flat.
posted by le morte de bea arthur at 2:08 PM on August 31, 2011 [20 favorites]
My globe has Prussia, Edo, and Formosa. Now what?
posted by blue_beetle at 2:08 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by blue_beetle at 2:08 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
Now what?
Lookup some dates and extend their table farther into the past? It's the MeFi way dontchaknow.
posted by turbodog at 2:10 PM on August 31, 2011
Lookup some dates and extend their table farther into the past? It's the MeFi way dontchaknow.
posted by turbodog at 2:10 PM on August 31, 2011
This link is already out of date... South Sudan.
posted by plep at 2:13 PM on August 31, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by plep at 2:13 PM on August 31, 2011 [6 favorites]
My globe is so odd...
HOW ODD IS IT?
My globe shows Tlön, Dunwich and Arkham Island.
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:14 PM on August 31, 2011 [12 favorites]
HOW ODD IS IT?
My globe shows Tlön, Dunwich and Arkham Island.
posted by 2bucksplus at 2:14 PM on August 31, 2011 [12 favorites]
I knew my European map was old because it still has Yugoslavia on it (comprised of serbia, mont. and kosovo), but I was unsure of the date. I just now looked at the bottom left corner and saw "Copyright 2000". Don't many globes have dates on them?
I agree this is a cool idea.
posted by soelo at 2:18 PM on August 31, 2011
I agree this is a cool idea.
posted by soelo at 2:18 PM on August 31, 2011
My globe has all Gaul divided into three parts
posted by Cranberry at 2:21 PM on August 31, 2011 [9 favorites]
posted by Cranberry at 2:21 PM on August 31, 2011 [9 favorites]
Did you find this link from the Awl thing on globe-dating?
I wrote that piece.
posted by troika at 2:23 PM on August 31, 2011 [5 favorites]
I wrote that piece.
posted by troika at 2:23 PM on August 31, 2011 [5 favorites]
My globe is so old...
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is so old it's not even here anymore since it was dragged under a sofa by the turtle upon whose shell it rests.
posted by Omon Ra at 2:23 PM on August 31, 2011 [7 favorites]
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is so old it's not even here anymore since it was dragged under a sofa by the turtle upon whose shell it rests.
posted by Omon Ra at 2:23 PM on August 31, 2011 [7 favorites]
My globe is so old it has Gondwana and Laurasia on it.
posted by rh at 2:23 PM on August 31, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by rh at 2:23 PM on August 31, 2011 [3 favorites]
My globe just says "PANGEA" in big letters.
Ha ha.
Actually, my globe is less than a year old, and I got it from Replogle, and it came with a coupon for something like $50 off a replacement ball that I can use when it gets too out of date to be useful. I figure I can just pencil in South Sudan for now, though.
posted by not that girl at 2:28 PM on August 31, 2011
Ha ha.
Actually, my globe is less than a year old, and I got it from Replogle, and it came with a coupon for something like $50 off a replacement ball that I can use when it gets too out of date to be useful. I figure I can just pencil in South Sudan for now, though.
posted by not that girl at 2:28 PM on August 31, 2011
The list of world map changes goes back much farther.
posted by desjardins at 2:32 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by desjardins at 2:32 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
I stole mine from the Prussian consulate in Siam.
So you're the blackguard who stoly my autogyro! CONSTABLE, ARREST THIS NE'ER-DO-WELL.
posted by griphus at 2:36 PM on August 31, 2011
So you're the blackguard who stoly my autogyro! CONSTABLE, ARREST THIS NE'ER-DO-WELL.
posted by griphus at 2:36 PM on August 31, 2011
Neat! I gave my lady an antique globe for Christmas last year (mid 40s-mid 50s, I think); it will be great to fix its date.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:37 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by Admiral Haddock at 2:37 PM on August 31, 2011
They left out Bourkina Faso which prior to 1984 was Upper Volta.
posted by Jode at 2:37 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by Jode at 2:37 PM on August 31, 2011
My globe is so old...
HOW OLD IS IT?
It's so old, it's too hot to touch.
posted by rouftop at 2:39 PM on August 31, 2011 [5 favorites]
HOW OLD IS IT?
It's so old, it's too hot to touch.
posted by rouftop at 2:39 PM on August 31, 2011 [5 favorites]
So, my wife is a second grade teacher, and we just played this game with the globe in her classroom without the aid of the website. Turns out to be from from 1997-1998, Thanks Democratic Republic of the Congo!
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 2:41 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by Bulgaroktonos at 2:41 PM on August 31, 2011
I just use the separate "World Globe [Pro] 4" on my Microsoft Encarta CD I bought for $299 in 1997.
posted by mattbucher at 2:44 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by mattbucher at 2:44 PM on August 31, 2011
I had a few CD-ROM encyclopedias in the mid-90s, including Encarta '96 and I don't remember them costing that much.
posted by griphus at 2:59 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by griphus at 2:59 PM on August 31, 2011
I like how the presence of the Democratic Republic of Congo indicates it's either newer than 1997 OR older than 1971. Plus ça change, etc.
posted by rkent at 2:59 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by rkent at 2:59 PM on August 31, 2011
I found one mistake: Djibouti was called Afars & Issas (French Territory of the Afars and the Issas) between 1967 and 1977.
posted by gubo at 3:00 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by gubo at 3:00 PM on August 31, 2011
Your Globe is so old, it's square.
posted by Kabanos at 3:03 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Kabanos at 3:03 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
My globe is from 1893, but it's also square.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:06 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 3:06 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
Planned obsolescence for globes? It's a worldwide conspiracy!
posted by scrowdid at 3:13 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by scrowdid at 3:13 PM on August 31, 2011
My globe is so old...
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is so old it's got a post-it from God. It says, "DAY 3, TO DO: add land, sea."
posted by iamkimiam at 3:17 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is so old it's got a post-it from God. It says, "DAY 3, TO DO: add land, sea."
posted by iamkimiam at 3:17 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
My globe is so old it's got a post-it from God. It says, "DAY 3, TO DO: add land, sea."
I call bullshit. God does not use Post-Its; He's a whiteboard guy from Creation to Rapture.
posted by gompa at 3:19 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
I call bullshit. God does not use Post-Its; He's a whiteboard guy from Creation to Rapture.
posted by gompa at 3:19 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
my globe is so old it has hair.
it is so old, pangea is spelled wrong.
so old that the holy roman empire has a visible presence.
so old I thought the volcanos were phrenic bumps.
posted by clavdivs at 3:26 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
it is so old, pangea is spelled wrong.
so old that the holy roman empire has a visible presence.
so old I thought the volcanos were phrenic bumps.
posted by clavdivs at 3:26 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was going to say that my globe is so old that The Sun goes round it, but it turns out my wife wrapped things in acid-free tissue paper when we moved house...
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 3:33 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 3:33 PM on August 31, 2011
Your Globe is so old, it's square.
Nah, my globe is old enough that it's without form and void.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:36 PM on August 31, 2011
Nah, my globe is old enough that it's without form and void.
posted by ROU_Xenophobe at 3:36 PM on August 31, 2011
Thomas Jefferson's globe at Monticello doesn't have Antarctica on it.
posted by gottabefunky at 3:39 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by gottabefunky at 3:39 PM on August 31, 2011
My globe is so old the equator is hanging around Australia.
My globe is so old it's got fault lines...everywhere!
My globe is so old it spins once every 37 hours.
posted by iamkimiam at 3:41 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
My globe is so old it's got fault lines...everywhere!
My globe is so old it spins once every 37 hours.
posted by iamkimiam at 3:41 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
My globe is so new it has no icecaps on it.
posted by BlueJae at 3:41 PM on August 31, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by BlueJae at 3:41 PM on August 31, 2011 [3 favorites]
troika: it was linked on Hacker News today. That's where I saw it.
posted by turbodog at 3:43 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by turbodog at 3:43 PM on August 31, 2011
I have been looking for a comprehensive list of name changes for ages. Thank you!
Now to find some visuals for the border changes...
posted by betafilter at 3:54 PM on August 31, 2011
Now to find some visuals for the border changes...
posted by betafilter at 3:54 PM on August 31, 2011
I don't believe in globes.
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:56 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by Benny Andajetz at 3:56 PM on August 31, 2011
All of your globes will be old once my Nefarious Scheme for World Domin- hey! Something shiny!
posted by likeso at 4:22 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by likeso at 4:22 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
Since we have google maps now we don't need maps or atlases or globes although for some strange reason this Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World is in stock at Amazon for 114 $. Yikes. People would actually pay good money for what you can find faster with a computer than if the atlas was sitting right there on your table?
For a long time I had a National Geographic map of the world on my office wall. It had the glorious U.S.S.R. in pink completely dominating the right half of the map. It wasn't a Mercator projection but Greenland was about 1.5X the size of the mainland United States.
posted by bukvich at 4:23 PM on August 31, 2011
For a long time I had a National Geographic map of the world on my office wall. It had the glorious U.S.S.R. in pink completely dominating the right half of the map. It wasn't a Mercator projection but Greenland was about 1.5X the size of the mainland United States.
posted by bukvich at 4:23 PM on August 31, 2011
I got a very cheap globe at a thrift store that had "Confederate States of America" on it. Made a BIG profit selling it to Rick Perry.
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:25 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by oneswellfoop at 4:25 PM on August 31, 2011
I don't believe in globes.
Just a conspiracy of cartographers, you mean?
posted by mhoye at 4:25 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
Just a conspiracy of cartographers, you mean?
posted by mhoye at 4:25 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
No mention of South Sudan?
posted by chris88 at 4:26 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by chris88 at 4:26 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
My globe is at least as old as this list goes back... as it does have Siam on it. No copyright date so that I can confirm it either. I'm pretty sure it's not much older than that though.
posted by inthe80s at 4:34 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by inthe80s at 4:34 PM on August 31, 2011
My globe is so old that it has a turtle under it. Under that turtle... it's all turtles!
posted by ovvl at 5:33 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by ovvl at 5:33 PM on August 31, 2011 [2 favorites]
My wife has started collecting globes mostly from garage sales. We have one that dates to sometime between 1935 to 1939. My favorite feature is the lines that trace flight paths and proposed flightpaths.
We used this site to figure out the date.
posted by VTX at 6:14 PM on August 31, 2011
We used this site to figure out the date.
posted by VTX at 6:14 PM on August 31, 2011
My globe is a Cube. And you are all educated stupid.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 6:41 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by Hairy Lobster at 6:41 PM on August 31, 2011
Oh man, I could already do this and it was my flea market magic power. Internet-usurped again.
posted by dame at 6:48 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by dame at 6:48 PM on August 31, 2011
My Golden Globe is so old it felt up Ted Danson that one night.
posted by swift at 7:09 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by swift at 7:09 PM on August 31, 2011
Apparently my globe with East and West Germany (that I actually REALLY have had since I was a kid) isn't that obsolete compared to everyone else's. How old are you people?!
posted by Mael Oui at 7:49 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by Mael Oui at 7:49 PM on August 31, 2011
Since we have google maps now we don't need maps or atlases or globes
What? It is nice but it does not make all other cartographic tools obsolete.
posted by soelo at 8:39 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
What? It is nice but it does not make all other cartographic tools obsolete.
posted by soelo at 8:39 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
"People would actually pay good money for what you can find faster with a computer than if the atlas was sitting right there on your table?"
Yes, for this reason: http://wondermark.com/442/
Do you remember the wonderment of flipping through a big ol' atlas when you were a child?
---------------
My globe is so old ...
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is so old it's labeled Teegeeack instead of Earth.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:57 PM on August 31, 2011
Yes, for this reason: http://wondermark.com/442/
Do you remember the wonderment of flipping through a big ol' atlas when you were a child?
---------------
My globe is so old ...
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is so old it's labeled Teegeeack instead of Earth.
posted by Eyebrows McGee at 8:57 PM on August 31, 2011
It's interesting that the last decade has been so calm in country-name-change land.
Also, what are we supposed to call Burma/Myanmar these days?
posted by madcaptenor at 10:13 PM on August 31, 2011
Also, what are we supposed to call Burma/Myanmar these days?
posted by madcaptenor at 10:13 PM on August 31, 2011
My globe is so old...
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is so old, I have to use a ____blank____ to support it.
posted by not_on_display at 10:17 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is so old, I have to use a ____blank____ to support it.
posted by not_on_display at 10:17 PM on August 31, 2011 [1 favorite]
True story: When I was in Beijing in 1992, I spent a bunch of time drawing in all the newly formed, ex-Soviet Republics on my big wall map of the world. (Yes it was fun, thank you.)
posted by jiawen at 10:53 PM on August 31, 2011
posted by jiawen at 10:53 PM on August 31, 2011
My globe must have been manufactured within a 5 month span in 1990, since it has Yemen as one country (reunification May 22 1990), but still has East & West Germany (reunification October 3 1990). But it still has Burma instead of Myanmar (1989)? Suppose there's some difference between the history book dates of when a name changed and when that change became accepted usage.
posted by superna at 12:59 AM on September 1, 2011
posted by superna at 12:59 AM on September 1, 2011
True story: when I was getting sworn in for my US citizenship yesterday, the gentleman reading off the list of home countries hesitated before reading of "USSR"--qualifying that it was a historical name and he didn't think anyone would actually stand up for it. He was shocked when I stood up for a country that hasn't existed for over twenty years.
I wonder how many other people out there, due to timing of immigration, currently belong to no existing country. Up until 10am yesterday, I was one of them.
posted by litnerd at 6:23 AM on September 1, 2011 [9 favorites]
I wonder how many other people out there, due to timing of immigration, currently belong to no existing country. Up until 10am yesterday, I was one of them.
posted by litnerd at 6:23 AM on September 1, 2011 [9 favorites]
Umm...1959 (has Dahomey not Togo), has United Arab Republic.
New globes are expensive.
posted by lathrop at 6:54 AM on September 1, 2011
New globes are expensive.
posted by lathrop at 6:54 AM on September 1, 2011
My globe is so old, it orbits a great grand-sun.
posted by Kabanos at 7:01 AM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Kabanos at 7:01 AM on September 1, 2011 [1 favorite]
Since we have google maps now we don't need maps or atlases or globes
You cannot possibly be serious, but just in case: I'm going to Mount Rainier on Saturday. According to Verizon, there's no data service. I could download maps to a mobile device beforehand, yes, but what happens if the battery goes? I drop it? It gets snow on it? I'm FUCKED without a map. I'm down to stars and dead reckoning and following streams and shit. I'll probably be eaten by a bear before I find civilization again.
As for why we need globes - all map projections are going to contain errors. Globes don't. (Or they don't need to.)
It's true that finding something in an atlas is slower than finding it on Google maps, but an atlas is a historical record, like your map showing the USSR. It's a fixed point in time. Google maps change - how would you know where Eritrea came from if there were no historical record? Atlases also show much more than boundaries and placenames. Usually there is climate and agricultural and demographic information. I daresay flipping the page from a political map of Africa to a demographic one is faster than looking up two maps on the Internet. The information is all in one place
If you focus on the speed, you're missing the subjective quality of maps. They're art. Atlases are art. There are dozens of design decisions that go into them. That is also true of Google maps, but if you're narrowing all geographic information down to one source, you miss the diversity of cartography.
I am so glad I grew up flipping through an atlas and not staring at a screen.
posted by desjardins at 7:37 AM on September 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
You cannot possibly be serious, but just in case: I'm going to Mount Rainier on Saturday. According to Verizon, there's no data service. I could download maps to a mobile device beforehand, yes, but what happens if the battery goes? I drop it? It gets snow on it? I'm FUCKED without a map. I'm down to stars and dead reckoning and following streams and shit. I'll probably be eaten by a bear before I find civilization again.
As for why we need globes - all map projections are going to contain errors. Globes don't. (Or they don't need to.)
It's true that finding something in an atlas is slower than finding it on Google maps, but an atlas is a historical record, like your map showing the USSR. It's a fixed point in time. Google maps change - how would you know where Eritrea came from if there were no historical record? Atlases also show much more than boundaries and placenames. Usually there is climate and agricultural and demographic information. I daresay flipping the page from a political map of Africa to a demographic one is faster than looking up two maps on the Internet. The information is all in one place
If you focus on the speed, you're missing the subjective quality of maps. They're art. Atlases are art. There are dozens of design decisions that go into them. That is also true of Google maps, but if you're narrowing all geographic information down to one source, you miss the diversity of cartography.
I am so glad I grew up flipping through an atlas and not staring at a screen.
posted by desjardins at 7:37 AM on September 1, 2011 [3 favorites]
litnerd: Congratulations! We're glad to have you.
posted by desjardins at 7:38 AM on September 1, 2011
posted by desjardins at 7:38 AM on September 1, 2011
Up until 10am yesterday, I was one of them.
I came to the United States from the USSR -- Russia, specifically -- in June 1990. So, while the wheels were in motion for a few months, I watched them hoist the new Russian flag over the Kremlin on a TV in Brooklyn. Due to some issues with the INS, I did not become a citizen on the United States until roughly ten years later. So between 1991 and 2000, I was also a citizen of nowhere.
posted by griphus at 8:10 AM on September 1, 2011
I came to the United States from the USSR -- Russia, specifically -- in June 1990. So, while the wheels were in motion for a few months, I watched them hoist the new Russian flag over the Kremlin on a TV in Brooklyn. Due to some issues with the INS, I did not become a citizen on the United States until roughly ten years later. So between 1991 and 2000, I was also a citizen of nowhere.
posted by griphus at 8:10 AM on September 1, 2011
My globe is so old, John McCain used it in school.
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:55 AM on September 1, 2011
posted by Capt. Renault at 8:55 AM on September 1, 2011
Sarah Palin's globe is so old, she thought she was correct when she said she could see Russia from her house.
Because Alaska used to be part of Russia, see?
posted by litnerd at 9:12 AM on September 1, 2011
Because Alaska used to be part of Russia, see?
posted by litnerd at 9:12 AM on September 1, 2011
My globe is so old the hydrogen bombs in the volcanoes hadn't killed billions of Xenu's citizens yet.
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:55 AM on September 1, 2011
posted by Tell Me No Lies at 10:55 AM on September 1, 2011
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HOW OLD IS IT?
My globe is so old it still says "here be dragons." On France.
posted by griphus at 2:05 PM on August 31, 2011 [10 favorites]