What would you say is the most difficult stage in
globe-making?
Wetting a fragile piece of paper and then stretching it as
much as you can without ripping, rippling or overlapping
that paper incorrectly. If you try and manipulate the paper
too much, it degrades and turns to mush.
portrayal of the world and a great reminder of just how
huge and fragile it is. Maps get you from A to B, but
globes will inspire you to go in the first place!
What globe creation are you most proud of?
We are proud of all of them. They all go through a
similar process, so favorites tend to be ones that posed
extra challenges and came out better than expected. We
have high expectations, so it’s exciting when something
is beyond what we imagined it would be.
What steps are taken by the studio to ensure
cartographic accuracy in the creation of your globes?
We stay updated with world politics and [applicable]
changes. At the scale of a globe, there are not as many
changes as you’d think, and when there is something
like a capital changing names, we hear about it before it
even comes official. We have two full-time cartographers
working with us, and every map is bespoke anyway, so
it’s very easy for us to update things.
What globe type or material would you like to
work with someday?
I recently took a trip with my senior artists to
Venice, Italy, and we went to the last hand gold-
beater in Europe. We watched his process, which was
fascinating, and bought some gold leaf from him. We
are currently experimenting with it to see how we can
incorporate it into our work.
Any memorable anecdotes from clients who've
purchased a Bellerby? What's the nicest thing a
client has told you?
Jade (Fenster, social media manager) works with
all of our customers one-on-one. She works with them
over months and sometimes years (since we always have
a wait list), so almost all of them say
incredibly nice things once their
globes arrive. They are involved
from start to finish.
We had a customer who bought a
small globe instead of an engagement
ring for his girlfriend (probably wife
by now) and used it to propose.
What's next for Bellerby? Any new products or
directions you're willing to share?
We will always continue to add new base designs but
also maybe branch off with a new
(related) product. We are still a young
company, so every day still brings
surprises and challenges to keep me
busy. With a team heading towards
25 people now, and me being the sole
owner, I am still looking forward to
catching my breath and having the
headspace to think about what might
be next!
What is the role globes play
in this day and age of Google
Earth, GPS and mapping apps?
I think globes are totally
unrelated to Google Earth, GPS
and maps. No one ever used a globe
on the small scale to find their way
from one neighborhood to the next.
They are beautiful objects, and
people, for hundreds of years, have
admired them not only for their
information but because they lovely
to have in your home. Importantly,
globes also show the world in the
correct scale. A globe is an accurate
The classic Britannia floor
standing globe
More of Bellerby and Co.'s
exquisite globes await at
bellerbyandco.com. Follow them
on Instagram @globemakers
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