Juan Trippe's Globe

From his office in New York City, Pan American president Juan T. Trippe used this globe to plan his airline's expansion around the world. Trippe often would stretch a string between two points on the globe and calculate the distance and time it would take for his airliners to fly between them. Made in the late 1800s, this globe was featured prominently in many publicity photos of Trippe, and it became part of Pan Am's and Trippe's public image.

Gift of the Pan American Historical Foundation

Display Status

This object is on display in America by Air at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

America by Air

Object Details

Type

MEMORABILIA-Miscellaneous

Dimensions

3-D (Assembled with base, see note): 109.2 × 109.2 × 133.3cm, 79.8kg (3 ft. 7 in. × 3 ft. 7 in. × 4 ft. 4 1/2 in., 176lb.)

Materials

paper mache sphere, hand-colored copper plate engravings, brass meridian ring, wooden (oak) stand

Inventory Number

A20040142000

Credit Line

Gift of Pan-Am Historical Foundation.

Data Source

National Air and Space Museum

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply
For more information, visit the Smithsonians Terms of Use.