Who ISN'T fascinated by the ancient craft of Globemaking? Join Peter Bellerby, founder of Bellerby & Co. Globemakers, in this visual tour through the history of Globemaking, how it almost became a lost art, and how he is bringing it back, one beautiful hand painted globe at a time. His book, a full-color photographic portrait of a fantastic art, "The Globemakers" is an enlightening exploration of globes, or “earth apples,” as they were first known, and their ability to show us ourselves and our place in an infinite universe. If you don't want to run out and buy globes for yourself and all of your friends after this talk, we'll be surprised!

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About The Globemakers:

The beautifully illustrated story of our globe and the globes it has inspired, told from inside the workshop of one of the world's last globemakers, with four-color photos throughout.

Many of us encounter a globe as children. We find a grown-up and ask, “Where are we?” They spin the globe and point to a minuscule dot amidst a massive expanse of sea and land. Thousands of questions follow. A profound convergence of art and science, a globe is the ultimate visualization of our place in our galaxy and universe. To be a globemaker requires a knowledge of geography, skilled engineering, drawing, and painting, and only a few people in history have ever really mastered the craft.

When Peter Bellerby set out to make a globe for his father's eightieth birthday, after failing to find a suitable one to purchase, he had no idea where the process would lead. He went on to establish Bellerby & Co, one of the only artisan globemakers in the world. The Globemakers brings us inside Bellerby's gorgeous studio to learn how he and his team of cartographers and artists bring these stunning celestial, terrestrial, and planetary objects to life. Along the way he tells stories of his adventure and the luck along the way that shaped the company.

About Peter:

Peter Bellerby is the founder of Bellerby & Co. Globemakers, the world’s only truly bespoke makers of globes. His team of skilled craftspeople make exquisite terrestrial, celestial and planetary globes. The business began after he failed to find a special globe for his father’s 80th birthday – and decided to make one himself, taking him on an extraordinary journey of rediscovering this forgotten craft.

The Globemakers takes us through how to build a globe, or ‘earth apples’ as they were first known, and includes fascinating vignettes on history, art history, astronomy and physics, as well as the day-to-day craftsmanship.

Peter also assisted Sarah Winman with research for her novel, Still Life. 

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and in partnership with a multitude of MA Libraries.