AN EXCEPTIONAL AMERICAN 18" MECHANICAL TERRESTRIAL FLOOR GLOBE ON STAND, BY WILLIAMS PRIDHAM INDEX GLOBE COMPANY, CIRCA 1914, the hollow sphere printed by W. & A.K. Johnson LTD of Edinburg, Scotland, signed under the maker within a circular cartouche, and featuring the world's continents, designating nations, states, towns, and cities, as well as mountain ranges and bodies of water, the whole mounted for axial rotation within an annulus marked with graduations indicating the degrees of latitude, which coordinate with those of longitude to centralize a specific geographical point on the globe. This triggers a mechanism of gears and shafts within the cavity, which can be further controlled manually by a cylindrical knob projecting from the South Pole, winding an internal index printed paper ribbon viewable through a pair of counter situated clear magnified glazed rectangular apertures, the index providing a list of place names located at the chosen coordinates. All is made fully revolvable within the arcuated wood ecliptic, graduated in days for each house of the Zodiac, labeled by their respective symbols, and joined to a central oak turned standard issuing cabriole legs and scroll feet above a conforming "X" form base. NOTE: A virtually identical 18" index floor globe was offered and sold at Bonham's New York, Life On Board, Maritime, Yachting, and Ocean Liner Paintings and Decorative Arts Sale, 22 June 2010, Lot 50W for $7,320. Height: 44" Diameter: 24 1/2"