Planispheres are flat representations of the celestial sphere. By combining a star chart with a moveable window, they could reveal the constellations visible at a particular latitude on any night of the year. While the conception goes back at least to the 11th century and the name to the 17th century, it was in the 19th century that new and cheaper printing techniques meant that they could become readily available to lay audiences.

This planisphere is constructed from four layers of cardboard: a circular base plate, with a celestial map, an oval horizon disc with circular cutaway, and a small circle representing the area around the pole star, all fixed with a small rivet. Further details of its construction and cartography can be found in the publication "Globes and Greenwich" (1999). Instructions for use are printed on the back and an inscription on the front describes it as "A MOVEABLE PLANISPHERE. London. Published by J. Cary. No. 181 Strand" and on the back the printer is given as S. Gosnell, Little Queen Street, and the date 1812. Added in manuscript is "Archdeacon Wollaston's Planisphere", which may suggest that it was once owned by the mathematician and natural philosopher Rev Francis John Hyde Wollaston (1762-1823), who became Archdeacon of Essex in 1813. His father, Francis Wollaston (1731-1815), was a clergyman and an astronomer known for producing aid for popular and practical astronomy, including a number of planispheres.