Supplying Seafarers for 500 years
By Sal Balharrie
500 hundred years ago and the world looked incredibly different. Continents were largely unexplored by Europeans; empires such as the Inca and Aztecs still flourished; people lived in rural areas with limited technology. But something was happening. Sapiens were about to enter the Age of Sail. Square-rigged ships would carry European explorers and settlers to expand the known world; soon the sextant and chronometer would make it possible to accurately chart positions and land mass and as we now know, he who charts the world, wins.
And so it began- a young rope maker, good at his job, invests in his trade and himself and opens a shop. The business expanded over nearly four centuries and In 1890 the 15-year-old Arthur Beale joined the business. By 1901 the company became known as Beale and Cloves and soon after just Arthur Beale. Filled with self belief and entrepreneurial spirit, he hung up his own shingle and became the exclusive supplier of climbing rope to the Alpine Club - the rope used on British Expeditions to Mount Everest and Antarctica.
ARTHUR BEALE EST.1500
With a history spanning over five centuries, Arthur Beale is steeped in tradition and expertise. Our craftsmanship and dedication to quality have been trusted by legendary explorers, from early Everest attempts to Polar expeditions led by icons like Sir Ernest Shackleton.
ARTHUR BEALE would go on to supply ice axes to polar explorer, Ernest Shackleton; the flagpole for Buckingham Palace and rigging for escapologists and the window displays of Selfridges department store.
In the 20th century, the concept of adventure took on a more personal tone, sailing and the oceans became broadly accessible, no longer requiring official undertakings financed by kings, the sea could now be traversed by average joes in small nimble craft – the world became ‘our’ oyster – and ARTHUR BEALE was your one stop shop of all you’d ever need. And the shop thrived until it didn’t and a Shaftesbury Avenue address, once a draw card was now a commercial anchor, both metaphorically and physically, with ridiculously high rents dragging the business down.
Enter two young men. Cashed up, and teched up, thanks to the e-commerce boom they were ready to grasp history and twist it to their needs. The physical shop shuts. The online shop is launched. The brand survives.
The death of bricks and mortar is a sad reality, but the flipside is the extension of brand stories, such as ARTHUR BEALE, to the world. Global audiences hankering for romance and nostalgia find their fill on social media. But in this case, only time will tell if the numbers stack up and if your average joe is happy to buy a brass screw online of chat with the much promised ‘real person’. I happen to think they will, as a new breed of tech tolerant, recreational boaties is born, with a credit card ready, without a memory of the sound of a bell as a shop door opens of or the smell of hemp rope and oilskins.
Arthur Beale X National Maritime Museum Greenwich
“Arthur Beale is the oldest ship chandler in the world and over the past 500 years has kitted out the greatest sailors and explorers. The National Maritime Museum has over 2.5 million items from sailors and explorers over the centuries including several original items from Arthur Beale. With unprecedented access to their collection we have embarked on a unique collaboration that reflects the tradition, style and functionality of the clothing worn by these intrepid individuals.”
It would seem that for anything to survive, the logo must look good. And so the world evolves, and so too must we if history is to become a relevant part of our present. Well done to the new custodians of ARTHUR BEALE – I for one lust over your jumpers – what you are doing is taking innovation and grounding in the heart of exploration and that is very exciting.
“Our warehouse in Buckinghamshire allows us the space to experiment & develop new products, as well as keep up with our increasing number of online orders. Our warehouse team are readily available for any product enquiries and our rigging master Gem is on hand for custom rope and rigging work. We are real people at the end of the phone line so please do get in touch if you have any questions.”
