Artline World Globes |
| Why buy a Globe? |
 International
events (social, economic, military,
weather-related, etc.) cause a surge in the
demand for up-to-date and accurate cartographic
data. Globes are high on the list of products
people turn to for information (a map of
Afghanistan may be interesting, but what people
really want to know is how close is Afghanistan
to my home, my relatives, etc. - a globe is the
best source for that information).
The world seems to be getting smaller - CNN and
other networks like them bring the rest of the
world into our living rooms 24/7. The economy is
truly global - globes are office tools as well
as decorative accessories. Geography education
is on the increase as a result of increased
awareness. Before television and other
electronic media, every educated home had a
globe. That practice is once again on the rise.
If our children are going to compete in the
modern economy they need to understand
geo-political relationships.
So many conflicts in the world today have their
historical basis connected to geography - border
conflicts, holy lands, etc. Without an
understanding of geography it is difficult to
understand history, and therefore difficult to
understand today's current events.
Astronomy Products - There is no other company
producing high quality astronomy globes. There
are several inexpensive star finders available
in the market, but they do not have the
decorative, aesthetic appeal combined with
accurate science. All of our astronomy products
are perfect accessories for someone who uses a
telescope. Astronomy products are viewed as
family products - stargazing is an activity that
appeals to children as well as adults, something
the entire family can do together.
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How We Create Our Globes |
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| The Beauty of Knowledge |
| Dedicated only to the creation of world class acrylic globes, highly skilled |
| American artisans hand-fashion each Artline Globe product for |
| unsurpassed quality. Our state-of-the-art technology |
| allows us to offer a lifetime guarantee of |
| quality and craftsmanship. |
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Beginning with museum quality cast acrylic sheets; each is cut to size, checked
for optical clarity, and prepared for
 hand
application of the graphics.
Each sphere design begins
with specially developed,
hand-drawn polar azimuthal
projection cartography. Once
the cartographer has
approved the projection, it
is transferred from the
original cartography to a
photographic film master.
This original film work is
then transferred into a
specialized silk-screen
image. Each color applied to
the sphere requires an
individual silk-screen.
Depending on the sphere to
be created, this process can
require 8 to 18 separate
hand operations. Each piece
is then carefully inspected
and passed on to the thermal
process. |
| At this step, each piece must be heat soaked for several hours at high temperatures. |
| Then, with the skilled eye of a highly trained craftsperson, each piece is fitted into a |
| blowing tool which uses only air pressure to create the hemisphere. To assure |
| optical clarity, the hemispheres are free-blown, similar to glass-blowing techniques. |
| Literally, each sphere is slightly different from any other. The |
| hemispheres are then passed to the hands of the trimmer. |
Here the two hemispheres are
trimmed of any excess
material, then carefully
matched to create a complete
sphere. Next, the spheres
are thoroughly cleaned and
polished to remove any
residue from the
manufacturing process. |
| Then, the highly skilled globe maker makes a final fitting and bonds the two |
| hemispheres, making a complete sphere. The globe maker then signs and dates a |
| Certificate of Authenticity, personally certifying the quality and appearance of |
| each sphere. Finally, the product is individually packed and prepared for shipment. |
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| Each Artline Globe product reflects a standard of excellence not achievable |
| with today's mass production techniques. From the multi-colored silk-screening |
| to the meticulous blowing, shaping, and finishing, each sphere is proudly passed |
| from the hands of our craftspeople to yours. |
