From their studio in Stoke Newington, Bellerby & Co Globemakers sustains a traditional discipline almost lost to history. Here, skilled artisans—cartographers, woodworkers, engravers, and watercolourists—combine artistry with the rigour of engineering precision.
Globe-makers undertake extensive apprenticeships, often spending at least a year before they are trusted with even the smallest globes. True mastery can take years of dedication. “Some people will spend months trying and never make a globe to the quality we expect,” Bellerby notes. “You can’t train patience or eye for detail.”
The globemakers’ task is among the most demanding—cutting and applying paper gores with precision measured in fractions of a millimetre. “You are working with incredibly fragile paper which you are wetting and stretching,” Bellerby explains. “One fraction of a mm off with one gore and you will have big issues once you lay that last strip.” Any deviation risks misaligning the world itself. A single miscalculation can obscure entire nations; any tear during application necessitates complete reconstruction.
Their work also reflects a commitment to accuracy, with borders and territories updated to reflect shifting geopolitical realities. The stakes are particularly high in sensitive regions like India, where inaccurate border depictions—especially regarding Pakistan and contested areas like Jammu and Kashmir—could create severe legal complications.
Once the maps are set, artists take over. They bring the globe to life with hand-painted watercolours using archival inks designed to endure for generations, blending pigments so that seams vanish into seamless curvature. Artists face the unique challenge of maintaining consistent colour transitions across multiple gores, essentially creating one continuous masterwork across separate canvases.
In parallel, woodworkers shape bases from rare materials sourced for both beauty and provenance. The most prestigious of these—the flagship 127cm Churchill Globe—rests on bases crafted from fine woods such as oak or walnut, or from metals including aluminium, brass, bronze, and titanium, with various finishes available to complement each piece.
Their reputation extends beyond technical mastery into deeply personal expression. Their bespoke globes are not just objects of reference, but canvases for memory and storytelling.
“We had a customer who proposed with a globe instead of a ring,” Bellerby reveals, whilst another client commissioned a map chronicling a band’s four-decade touring history. Customers have commissioned custom globes mapping ancestral migrations, historic trade routes, and commissions for heads of state featuring exotic wood bases celebrating milestone anniversaries. Each reflects the studio’s ability to weave personal narratives into cartographic form.
The studio’s collections also reveal distinct aesthetic philosophies. The Regency Blue series features warm powdery blue oceans with brown and sepia shaded land; a Bird & Flower Theme globe is an example of a bespoke commission incorporating botanical watercolours around landmasses. For those drawn to bold expression, the Glacial Cassini pairs icy Arctic waters with vibrant land shaded by country—a striking political map. At the other end of the spectrum lies the Gagarin series, a topographical map painting Earth as viewed from space, steeped in deep cosmic hues suggestive of exploration and discovery. Customers value this balance of personalisation and artistry. Each piece serves simultaneously as functional reference, artistic statement, and potential family heirloom.
Each Bellerby globe is inherently rare, not through imposed scarcity but through the time and skill each one demands. The Churchill, the studio’s largest and most intricate model at 127 cm, requires months of concentrated work and the collaboration of every discipline within the workshop. With only around forty completed worldwide across all finishes, its limited number reflects the rhythm of craftsmanship rather than production control.
The Churchill Globe typically begins at approximately £69,000 ($87,000), with highly bespoke versions commanding significantly more. Smaller luxury pieces open the category at around £1,200 ($1,500), with mid-sized customised examples reaching five figures. Waiting lists for certain models remain the norm, reflecting a market driven by measured, artisanal production rather than volume.
Recognition has extended beyond the studio’s immediate clientele. Bellerby & Co Globemakers has twice received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise, recognising exceptional British craftsmanship. Commissions for heads of state have been fulfilled alongside memorable cinematic projects, including the creation of two globes for Martin Scorsese’s Hugo.
In a digital age, handcrafted globes offer something screens cannot: physical presence and personal meaning. Bellerby has revived this near-forgotten craft and rendered it relevant again. For those seeking objects that combine beauty, precision, and personal significance, these premium pieces represent an opportunity to own something genuinely unique—pieces that tell both the story of the world and the story of their owners.
