BELLERBY and CO GLOBEMAKERS – Stoke Newington, London
The Heritage: Founded in 2008 by Peter Bellerby after he failed to find a high-quality globe for his father's 80th birthday, the company is credited with single-handedly reviving artisanal globemaking in the UK. From their North London workshop, they employ a team of specialised cartographers, illustrators and globemakers who produce approximately 600 bespoke globes annually.
The Verdict: Bellerby represents the absolute pinnacle of extreme craftsmanship. Unlike mass-market globes made of cardboard or plastic with printed vinyl coverings, Bellerby globes are constructed from plaster or glass-fibre spheres and covered with hand-painted paper strips called ‘gores’. The sustainability profile is rooted in the archival quality of the materials; they use water-based pigments and museum-grade conservation paper that will not yellow or degrade over centuries. Each globe is balanced on a hand-turned wooden or solid brass base - often created in collaboration with heritage technicians from companies like Aston Martin - ensuring it remains a functional piece of art for generations. Their made-to-order model is the ultimate rejection of fast-manufacture waste, providing a product with a virtually infinite lifespan compared to the flimsy, educational globes found in retail stores.
Core Products: Hand-painted terrestrial and celestial globes, ranging from the 5-inch "Pocket Globe" to the 50-inch "Churchill".
