Bellerby & Co. Globemakers

Back in 2008, Peter Bellerby was looking for a present to give for his father’s 80^th birthday. He got the idea for a traditional globe, a perfect fit for a former naval architect, but was disappointed to find the art of cartography has fallen by the wayside with the rise of digital technology.

With no prior experience, Bellerby set out to create one from scratch, capturing the style and aesthetic of the one thriving globemaking industry. Bellerby and Co. quickly revived demand for high-quality cartography, even getting commissioned for film props seen in Martin Scorsese’s Hugo. Their custom maps and cradles are in demand with everyone from artists and historians to yacht-owners, who recognized the quality and craftsmanship that goes into these custom-designed pieces.

It took Peter Bellerby 18 months to perfect his goring technique, and he hasn’t even bothered applying for patents of copyrights for fear of giving his methods away. In his attention to detail, he uses Formula 1 fabricators to get the globes exactly right, which is important in that a small imperfection can have exponential consequences.

Since these globes are made to order, Bellerby’s work is expensive. Bellerby & Co. turns around about 200 globes a year, with the priciest pieces selling for $80,000. You can learn more about them at bellerbyandco.com.