From the inventory list made by Toldy on the 20th of January 1874 we know that the library owned several globes (2-2 old, Italian with 4 feet diameter and Latin with 1 feet diameter, 2 new Hungarian ones with 1 feet diameter). The list shows that the library had a total of six globes, but we do not know much about their condition, although Toldy usually took notes regarding that with other items. The only information about the globes comes from dr. Katalin Plihál. She writes that in the past the globes used to be sold in pairs. The Latin ones could be any edition but the Hungarian ones were probably the Flekl Globes – the geographical names translated by Gönczy – which presumably ended up at the Cartography Department.
The Italian globes were very special. Eleonóra Harmos Okolicsányiné wrote about them in 1926.
According to her, the Celestial and Planetary Globe are from 1700. The celestial globe was made in Venice by the famous V. P. Coronelli. He dedicated the object to Francesco Morosini, doge of Venice. The images of the constellations on it are accompanied by their names in Italian, Spanish, French, Latin, Greek and Arabic.
The planetary globe has the same proportions as its sibling, thus it was made by the same master. It contains the errors of the geographical knowledge from 1700. The globe is very dingy and the shapes are barely visible. It bears the same script with the name of the maker (P. Coronelli) and the dedication to the doge.
Based on research data it has been suggested that the globes were brought to the library in 1918-1919, when the Szapáry family library was dispensed. However, according to the Ackerman record only 1500 books were distributed to new owners and no other relics.
The globes were mentioned in a 1964 study, but when dr. Katalin Plihál wanted to study them, she was confronted with the unfortunate fact that the globes were thrown out by the director-general.
The globes were important tools for the library in the past, even an old letter of purchase states that from 18. 01. 1880.
Based on Edit Kazimír's article