We ARE the Original Map Gift Company. And the reason we are, is because we LOVE maps. I know, we harp on about it a lot. But when you have so many works of art at your finger tips, it’s hard not to want to share them with everyone!

But just telling you we like maps isn’t enough…you ask us loads of questions about what it’s like to create our map masterpieces, so we thought we’d share some answers with you.

Our team and their maps

Esther

Esther is one of our Studio Assistants and is responsible for checking all of the Map Gifts before they’re sent out to you in our post.

What was your impression when you first saw the map room at Bombus?

"I remember being quite overwhelmed I think because I first saw it on my interview day and I remember thinking 'I know you deal with maps but like this is a lot!' I don't think it’s something you could even imagine unless you've seen it."

And Esther is right to be impressed. Our Map Room houses over 25,000 different maps. From atlases, to A-Z books, and thousands of vintage folded maps.

Do you have favourite maps?

"I love the maps that have little pictures on them, especially when they show the landmarks, for example Paris ones sometimes show the Eiffel tower."

I’m with Esther on this. The Paris maps are especially beautiful. It helps that the city is laid out in the most aesthetic manner, designed by the architect Haussmann to be just that.

Do you prefer folded maps or atlases for product production?

"I like to see the atlases as I love to see the little extras you sometimes get with these like the scales down the side."

What is the most popular and common request for a map location?

"When packing, two locations I feel like I frequently see is Rome- they always to be in a mini frame."

"And, Durdle Door in Dorset is super popular. A lot of people order that in the small bottles!"

Any other mappy comments?

"One thing I can definitely say for sure is that my geography knowledge of where countries are in the world has definitely improved what with the amount of maps we see!"

Amber

Amber is one of our more recent additions to the Bombus family. She joined us as Office Manager at the height of the pandemic and just before an exceptionally busy Christmas. It didn’t take long for her to become an important and essential member of the team.

What was your impression when you first saw the map room at Bombus?

"Wow. I could spend days looking through all of these! Also, the lovely antique paper stock smell that hits you when you enter the room."

I love this detail about the smell of the paper. She's right. It has a nostalgic sense of being back in a library, or nose deep in your favourite novel.

What is your favourite product to find maps for?

A map heart card. They are such special and unique pieces. I like the idea of them going on to be treasured keepsakes or on display longer than your average card. 

We know that most of you keep these map cards for ever, and even frame them for your wall. That makes us happy. After all, the whole idea of Bombus was dreamt up by our Director Amelia in order to repurpose old maps and save them going to landfill.

Do you have a favourite map?

"I love the pink and green London maps. The colours complement each other perfectly and the fonts are wonderful."

What is the most popular and common request for a map location?

"When processing the orders, I see lots of Paris requests and London postcodes."

Are there any ridiculous or impossible map requests you've had to decline for whatever reason?

"Disney World Florida, showing a particular ride (Dumbo the flying elephant)  ?"

Amber isn’t wrong to consider this a little funny. We work in real printed maps…and they’ve yet to make one that has that level of detail, unless you’re talking about one that you pick up as a visitor at the theme park attraction!

What's the most common enquiry we receive in relation to our map gifts?

‘Are you able to find (insert location)…’ 

And the answer? It is almost certainly yes. We have maps for all over the world. But remember, we’re using real maps. Not Google. So no, we can’t show your Aunty Linda’s back garden and her prize winning azaleas.

Any other mappy comments?

"I’m still quite new to this job, but I remember the excitement before I applied when I realised the business was all about MAPS! I knew this was the perfect job for me ❤"

Carly

Carly is a veteran at Bombus. And if you want to know anything about our maps, chances are she will be able to answer without even having to think about it. She spends a lot of time in our map room finding the perfect maps for your gifts and knows exactly what shelf, box, or atlas is required for any location.

How long did it take you to learn where to find all of the relevant locations and maps for our gifts?

"3-4 months"

What is your favourite product to find maps for? Miniature frames

"Definitely the Miniature Frame"

Carly not only finds the maps for our Miniature Frames, but is an expert craftswoman at making them all by hand. One Christmas she was responsible for turning out thousands of these gorgeous little keepsakes.

Do you have a favourite map?

"I love The Times Atlas"

"I prefer atlases. There is better colour variation and you have more options for different products with atlas maps as opposed to the folded OS maps."

What is the most obscure/interesting/challenging places on earth you've been asked to find? 

"Cocos (Keeling) Islands. I've never heard of this place and it was really hard to find as they are so small... but it made me want to go there now after seeing the pictures on google!"

What is the most popular and common request for a map location?

"Dubai!"

Are there any ridiculous or impossible map requests you've had to decline for whatever reason?

"Wanting California to Europe on an aeroplane card! "

And the reason this is difficult is because when we are looking for maps for products, we are dealing with SCALE. In order to fit a huge distance on a product, you need a big surface area. When you’re working with small keepsakes of 5cm you would have to zoom out a really long way for it to show such a distance, and with it you would lose all of the detail that makes it special!

Alice

Alice is one of our Studio Assistants and a complete design QUEEN. She is responsible for some of our most popular keepsake designs.

What was your impression when you first saw the map room at Bombus?

"My first impression was overwhelming and impressive! I first went into the map room during my internship and was so surprised that my colleagues were about to find a location so quickly considering how many different maps there are."

How long did it take you to learn where to find all of the relevant locations and maps for our gifts?

"It took me quite a few weeks to learn how to find locations. You have to consider the size and scale of the locations when searching for the most appropriate map. You also have to consider if the map is pretty enough for the product."

What is your favourite product to find maps for?

"Our bottle keepsakes. Although it can sometimes be a challenge because the bottles are so small. But I enjoy the challenge of looking for a scale which is small and cute ❤️"

Do you have a favourite map?

"My favourite map is Bartholomew Atlas of Greater London. I love the colours and always think the products look really cute."

Do you prefer folded maps or atlases for product production?

"I prefer the Atlases. It can be a little heart breaking when after looking through soooo many fold out maps, you finally find one with the location you are looking for and it's got a hole from where the map has worn from the fold."

What is the most obscure/interesting/challenging places on earth you've been asked to find?

"I remember a customer once ordered a 5 piece and, in each square, they wanted a different Disneyland location. It was amazing that someone has travelled the world to go to all the different Disneyland's. I was also jealous ?"

Are there any ridiculous or impossible map requests you've had to decline for whatever reason?

"Disneyland again! I remember someone once asked us to make a product using the park map, focusing on the Magic Kingdom, rather than an actual map. Unfortunately, we don't have park maps in our map room. 
What's the most common enquiry we receive in relation to our map gifts?
Wedding Venues are always super popular."

Finally...

Do YOU have a favourite map? We're always on the look out for something different, unique, and artistically spectacular. Share your fabulous map finds with us using the #letsgetmappy and tag us @bombus_gifts on Instagram!

We'll share your responses in Part 2 of this blog, when we uncover even more answers from our Bombus team about their favourite maps!