Lord of the Globes
While wanderlust has inspired art and literature for thousands of years, globes have been decorating our homes for centuries as a tangible element of this desire. Working on this concept and transforming it into an object of pleasure, has marked a turning point in Bellerby's career.
The story of Bellerby & Co Globemakers began 10 years ago when Bellerby, a geography enthusiast, wanted to give his father a globe as a present for his 80th birthday. Although the idea of a special handmade globe for a naval engineer is wonderful, the only thing Bellerby could find after a long search were antique globes that cost a fortune even though they had already lost their charm, or poor replicas which didn’t even have that charm to begin with.
Finding someone that speacialized in this dying art form was a let down, therefore Bellerby decided to make it with his own bare hands. During the 2 years it took to perfect the art, he has spent so much time and effort that he almost bankrupted himself. But he saw a gap in the market, and through the process people expressed interest in what he was doing. Out of this adventure which started as a hobby, a business was unexpectedly born!
Today; Bellerby & Co Globemakers has 25 artists and craftsmen from painters to carpenters, cartographers and engravers who all work tirelessly and strive to deliver custom orders from all around the world.
In the studio and workshop, located in North London, each globe is made bespoke to the customer's specifications. The customer chooses the sizing, style of base, colouring of the globe, and go through a process of personalising the map. The gores are expertly wet and stretched across a sphere, a technique that takes years for a maker to learn. A fraction of a millimeter off in this precise placement and they'd have to start all over again.
After all the gores are in place, further layers of watercolour and detail is hand painted. Each globe is one-of-a-kind. Once the painting process is over, it goes back to the makers to finish. Finally once complete it is coated with a matte or gloss finish. The creation of a globe, which has passed through at least five set of hands and has acquired a unique identity, can take between a few weeks to a few months to complete.
Bellerby & Co design all of their own bases and handcraft them in their studio. Options include both modern and classic designs and they handcraft many different sizes bases in a variety of woods and metals. Once the artisans are happy with the final product and have thoroughly checked the globe over, it is packaged carefully and shipped off to a new home to start its journey.
Bellerby mastered this long forgotten art all on his own, by trial and error and guided many young artists along the way. He says that he's still learning new things ten years on. Apprentice Globemakers need at least 1 year training to perfect the smallest sized globe and further time training on each different size.
“There are not many products out there these days that you can personally design to suit your taste and needs - it is rare to be able to work directly with the manufacturer to create something that will hopefully be a family heirloom passed down for generations.” says Bellerby. The fascination for a handcrafted and personalized object will always remain even with the ever-changing flow of the digital world. Bellerby's globes has revived a forgotten art and made it a part of our lives by retelling its story.
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