The heyday of the pocket globe was Georgian period England, from the early 18th century to about 1840, where they were mainly made as novelty items for British aristocrats. Generally about three inches in diameter, they typically came in a fishskin case that had concave maps and diagrams pasted within, although they sometimes came with boxes. Occasionally small mounts were made for them so they could stand on a table.

The term pocket globe could also describe miniature globes that came in wooden or cardboard boxes -- these were generally made in Germany by Klinger and Buehler.

The earliest British pocket globes were manufactured by John Senex in the first half of the 18th century. After Senex's death, John Ferguson designed his own pocket globes, and his designs were handed down to Dudley Adams and N. Lane, who published revised versions of Ferguson's designs into the 19th century.