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In the London neighborhood of Stoke Newington, perfect spheres and hand-crafted works of art are born
Working calmly is possible, and the benefits are visible in the finished product. This is what happens in a London atelier where, far from the rush of industrial production, the continents drawn on globes take shape brushstroke by brushstroke. Here, in fact, the young artisans of Bellerby & Co. Globemakers work on carefully prepared spheres, drawing oceans , borders and geographical details with a precision that requires patience and considerable manual skill. As a result, each artisanal globe is a unique object , created through a process that combines cartography , painting and woodworking .
The story of the globe atelier begins in 2008, when Peter Bellerby was looking for a special globe for his father ‘s eightieth birthday . However, the available options didn’t convince him: on the one hand, industrial plastic products, on the other, antique pieces that were too expensive. He therefore decided to make the gift himself, envisioning a project that would take only a few months. The reality was very different. To complete the first globe, in fact, it took him two years and spent all his savings. What seemed like a relatively simple undertaking became a technical and artisanal challenge destined to change his professional path. Given the satisfactory result, he began producing handmade globes for others as well, at the London atelier .
Transferring a flat map to the curved surface of a sphere is a complex operation. The outlines of the continents must be precisely adjusted, while latitudes and longitudes must match without noticeable deformations. The sphere itself also requires special characteristics: it must be perfectly round to ensure a final result that meets expectations. Bellerby himself underwent years of trials before perfecting the method. From this experience, as mentioned, his specialized laboratory was born, which collaborates with cartographers , painters , carpenters , and craftsmen expert in globe construction.
