Accession No
6089
Brief Description
‘Sputnik’ globe toy in box, by Michael Seidel, West German, c. 1960
Origin
West Germany
Maker
Michael Seidel
Class
demonstration; games; astronomy
Earliest Date
1957
Latest Date
1970
Inscription Date
Material
Metal (tin); plastic; cardboard
Dimensions
box dimensions: 221mm x 165mm x174mm
Special Collection
Provenance
Purchased from Christie’s, South Kensington, London, on 17/11/2005. Lot number 204 from the Paul Lips Collection.
Inscription
“B.G.M.ange.” (on base)
“Sputnik MS2000
“Made in Western Germany” (on box)
Description Notes
‘Sputnik’ globe toy in box, by Michael Seidel, West German, c. 1960
Tin globe on hemspherical base with two arms carrying orbiters. Base shows northern constellations, labelled in German; plastic-capped switch turns on clockwork mechanism which rotates the top, wind up key for this mechanism. Inclined top includes tin globe comprising two tin hemispheres, labeled in German with ferry and aeroplane routes marked. Two orbiters on metal arms include plastic spaceship with astronaut and a gold-metallic sphere with three antennae. Decorated cardboard box.
Complete
References
Events
Description
Capitalizing on international fascination with the ‘Space Race’, numerous toy companies in the 1960s produced space travel-themed toys. This tin globe is composed of two hemispheres that depict various boat and aeroplane routes about the Earth. A wind-up mechanism runs two metal arms that rotate two satellites—one of which contains an astronaut—around the Earth. All labels are in German.
14/01/2014
Created by: Allison Ksiazkiewicz on 14/01/2014
FM:46559
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