Bellerby & Co. Globemakers is one of two globemaking companies in the world.
When it comes to starting a globe, slow and steady is the name of the game.
They follow the old school methods, including a process called "goring."
Goring means that in order to create the globe, you glue strips of the map around the core.
Each gore has to be made in sets, in case one of the strips gets damaged.
Measuring during the goring process is crucial: Without it, there would be huge gaps left in the globes.
Here, the last strip of gore is carefully laid and adjusted.
The company's largest globe was created using this method. Is is 127 cm in diameter.
So, how does an incredibly company like this get started?
According to founder Peter Bellerby, he wanted to purchase his father a globe for his 80th birthday. Unfortunately, there were hardly any options to choose from.
Most of the globes on the market were cheap, flimsy, and made of plastic.
So, Bellerby chose another option: He made one himself.
The process of constructing the globe is a lot more difficult than it looks.
He had to research for accurate maps, and for methods to correctly assemble the globe so it would have proper rotation.
Eventually, he established a studio, and he and his team create incredibly beautiful globes that are detailed, sturdy, and up-to-date.
Each new team member receives about six months of training.
It's a relatively short amount of time, considering the fact that Bellerby himself took two years to complete his first globe.
The maps actually start in black and white, and then the experts paint them by hand.
This technique gives the overall visual of the globe a better, more intricate effect.
The globes are also mounter onto rods so they can be painted and rotate easily.
They're also often placed on hollow pedestals so they remain stable during the more complex part of the painting process.
Bellerby and Co make globes of all sizes, perfect for floor displays or on your desk.
Here are Bellerby's biggest and smallest globes, positioned side by side.
The Bellerby studio pup hasn't been formerly trained, but he looks like he loves the globes just as much as we do.
Sources: deMilked, Bellerby & Co. Globemakers
Wow! This is so beautiful.
I really want to get a nice big globe for my house.
Maps have spoilt our imagination of our great round world.
Cheers.
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There is something beautiful about a hand crafted globe (or anything involving craftsman for that matter). Would love one of these for my home.
When I was younger, I used to love pouring over a globe to "discover" places, gauge distances, and map out routes. Globes tend to be more "honest" than flat maps, in this way.
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This is really amazing, I wish I could go on a field trip to this place!
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