Antique Trippensee Planetarium (orrery)

Description

The Trippensee Planetarium. Detroit, Mich: The Trippensee Mfg. Co, 1908 Trippensee tellurian (14 1/2 x 18 1/2 in.), fitted with a 3 inch (7.6 cm) diameter terrestrial globe with 12 color printed gores over papier-mâché and plaster, signed within shield shaped cartouche in Pacific,  Rand McNally map.  With a 1 inch diameter wooden moon painted black and white rotating around it on a geared metal arm, the two revolving around a central 6 inch (14.8 cm) diameter brass sun which has a wooden 2
inch diameter planet Venus painted black & white rotating around it on a metal arm, all mounted on geared mechanisms on a maple arm with metal label and small functioning compass, on turned wood stand with round brass stamped base printed with seasons, signs of the Zodiac and months. Some very slight soiling to paper gores, paint chips to Moon and Venus, some oxidation to metal components.  My opinion: An excellent example of a Trippensee tellurian, a model which demonstrates the rotation of the Moon around the Earth, and the rotations of the Earth and Venus around the Sun, as well as the phases of the Moon and Venus from the Sun. The Trippensee Manufacturing Company came into being in 1905 when Frank Trippensee and his brother bought out the Laing Company -- a Detroit based firm that manufactured planetariums utilizing a simple string and pulley system. Trippensee devised a more complex system using a chain drive and gears, which proved remarkably successful. This is the chain /gear version. I find it fascinating that the signs of the Zodiac are included in the presentation.  SORRY NO International sales.
This orrery was a quest item. As a kid, I didn't bid high enough for one at a school fundraiser and I spent the next 20 years looking for just the right one to replace it. Every other one I found had dents in the Sun or sagging chains. I looked for one that hadn't been monkeyed with and this is it. This one comes from a one-room school house out of the tiny mining town of Redstone, Colorado. I bought it from the retired teacher. I loved the idea of combining celestial mechanics with Astrology. I'm moving to a tiny house with no space for frivolous items. It has started hundreds of interesting conversations and kids of all ages can't seem to put it down. Functions like new. Absolutely original condition. Price is firm.