Special Exhibition Label: 'Atmospheres: Investigating the Weather from Aristotle to Ozone' (19/10/2012 - 07/04/2013)
Science and Trade For an 18th-century gentleman or merchant with an eye on commerce, a globe was useful for depicting not just the lands of the world but the seas and their winds. Edmond Halley's 1686 study of the trade winds became a key source for globe makers as they maximised the profitable information on their products. This 1718 example is by John Senex, the leading globe maker in London in the early 18th century. The pattern of winds in the Indian Ocean, for example, can be understood by Senex's description: 'Note that the Arrows among the lines shew the Course of those General and Coasting Trade Winds and the Arrows in ye void spaces shew the Course of the Monsoons or Shifting Trade Winds, and ye Abbreviations Sept. &c. shew the Time of the Year when such Winds blow.' [Inv 28920]