Stanfords isn’t only famous for maps and travel guides; our range of globes has inspired generations of explorers, adventurers and astronomers. From traditional antique-style spheres to the latest cutting edge designs, there’s a wealth of globes to consider, but which to choose?
Nadia, our Long Acre store‘s resident globe expert, reveals her top six favourite globes from the Stanfords range:
1. Britannia Desk Globe
Size: 22.9 cm diameter
“The choice of colour on the Britannia is really rather unique – I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Nadia says. “It’s detailed without being too crowded, which can be a fine balancing act in smaller globes. The material is the very best – the resin is the same used in the manufacture of surfboards, so it’s pretty much indestructible. The technique the makers use is so highly skilled, and this really shows.
“This is an item that will be enjoyed for generations, and I’m sure it will become a collectors’ item. It is modern in terms of mapping – the cartography is fully up to date – but you can see it looking at home on the desktops of the future, it has that timeless appeal. The care and the skills used making the globe shows how unique it is – there’s nothing else like it, and best of all, it’s made in England!
“This is the only globe with this type of base, with the roller bearings enabling it to be positioned exactly how the user wants.”
> Buy the Britannia Desk Globe – walnut base!
> Buy the Britannia Desk Globe – oak base!
2. Iron Executive Illuminated Globe
Size: 30 cm diameter, 110 cm height
“This is a new addition to our collection,” Nadia explains. “I like the elegance of this globe and its solid chromed steel base; I think it’s very stylish with the angle of the stem.
“The Iron Executive can be illuminated – which gives a bit of choice and variety, and means you can use it as a lamp. The light it gives off is lovely – it’s quite soft and subtle and really brings the globe to life, helping it to become a non-dominant focal point of a living room or study.
“Its mapping is fully up to date and has some lovely details. It actually features cartography from the National Geographic, which has thought carefully about ensuring that all details are clear, something that’s not always easy when more than 2,000 place names are featured. Countries are easily identifiable thanks to the darker tones around the borders, and the use of shading in the oceans results in a lovely effect when the globe is lit.”
> Buy the Iron Executive Illuminated Globe!
3. The Greenwich Globe
Size: 26 cm diameter, 44 cm height
“The Greenwich Globe classic-style base is made from English oak, though it’s manufactured in America by well-known cartographers George F. Cram,” Nadia says. “Solid brass completes the base, while the mount stand is brass spindle.
“This is such a stylish model and it’s compact enough to fit really nicely on a desk or a table. The colours have been chosen carefully, and I think the globe is capable of being suited to both modern and more traditional homes. It features fully up to date cartography – the distinction between Sudan and South Sudan is the latest update.
“There’s also a lovely relief effect, so you can feel all the mountain ranges, making the globe quite tactile. The details are excellent and the 4,000+ inclusions are easy to read, which is impressive considering the globe’s size.”
4. Rotating Globe
Size: 25cm diameter, 29cm height
“This is a great-value globe considering the mechanism that powers the rotations and the fact that it’s illuminated,” Nadia explains. “While it doesn’t rotate at the actual speed of the Earth – each rotation takes only a few seconds – it gives you an excellent idea of the planet’s rotation. You can even make it spin both ways.
“There’s an impressive level of detail, too – all the planet’s capital cities are detailed, and country borders are clearly displayed. The Rotating Globe is particularly impressive in a dark room, where instead of seeing the bright greens, yellows and browns of the countries you see the lights of the cities. The bigger the city, the brighter the light.”
5. The Stockholm Globe
Size: 28 cm diameter
“The Stockholm Globe features a special resin normally found in museums, while its base is made of metal and chromed steel,” Nadia says.
“It’s based on designs from Denmark by Claus Jensen and Henrik Holbaek and is certainly one of the more unusual-looking globes, from the angle of the stem to the fact that the oceans are black and the maps silver. The size is a major plus point – it’s not too big and can fit on a desktop quite easily.
“The black and silver finish provides a striking contrast; it’s not the globe to choose if you want as much detail as possible, but it’s certainly one of the sleeker, more stylish models – fitting somewhere between informative and decorative. The Stockholm would be an excellent icebreaker at parties; the kind of thing that starts conversations.”
6. Night ‘N’ Day Globe
Size: 28 cm diameter
“The Night ‘N’ Day Globe spins at the same speed of the Earth’s rotation – it’s so slow that you can’t see it with the naked eye, but you can see how much it’s rotated after a few minutes,” Nadia explains.
“As well as rotating at an accurate speed, the globe is able to project seasonal daylight patterns according to the seasons, so during the winter the northern hemisphere spends less time facing the sun, and this is reflected. It doesn’t matter which city you live in – it shows the accurate date and time of day for any location on the planet.
“The intricacy and accuracy of the internal gear and motor system makes this a really wonderful globe, especially in schools where it would certainly captivate pupils.”
This Globe is now OUT OF PRINT!