Bartholomew heritage 310113 part1

BARTHOLOMEW: A SCOTTISH FAMILY HERITAGE

A Family of Mapmakers: My Family

National Library of Scotland – 31 January 2013

by John Eric Bartholomew

1. Personal Memories



Bartholomew Family Heritage Website: www.johnbartholomew.comLinks to many other sites incl. NLS Bartholomew Archive and Blog

http://www.johnbartholomew.com/

What does it feel like to be part of the Bartholomew family?

Early memories: “The Office” The last generation: The three brothers John Christopher : Father and cartographer

Personal perspectives and aspirations

The family legacy and the exhibition



Edinburgh Geographical Institute in Duncan Street

“The Office”


Memories: Rotary Printing Presses in Duncan Street

Memories: “The big camera”



The Bartholomew Staff were part of the extended family and developed meaningful social bonds – even into retirement

BARTHOLOMEW: A SCOTTISH FAMILY HERITAGE Engraver’s rights of passage...


Three Bartholomew brothers: John Christopher, Peter and Robert: Progressively took charge of the firm from their father John (Ian) between 1949 and 1956.

BARTHOLOMEW: A SCOTTISH FAMILY HERITAGE Peter Bartholomew (1924–1987)


Bartholomew’s Board of Directors in 1976 in the Boardroom in Duncan Street

Left to Right:

Michael Chittleburgh - Marketing

David Cunningham – Finance

David Ross Stewart – MD

Peter Bartholomew – Chairman

Robert Bartholomew – Production

John C Bartholomew - Cartographic

Growing up with a cartographerand the last generation in the firm


BARTHOLOMEW: A SCOTTISH FAMILY HERITAGE Capt. John C Bartholomew – RE Surveyor in North Africa and Palestine

BARTHOLOMEW: A SCOTTISH FAMILY HERITAGE John C Bartholomew – Projects


A further generation pre-destined to join the company?

The exhibition encapsulates a collective legacy


… until 7th May 2013

Before I move on...

Any questions or personal

recollections?


2. Turning the clock back

Six Generations



Six Generations

George Bartholomew 1784–1871


Apprenticed to the well-known engraver Daniel Lizars

Worked on illustrations and stationery but later moved to maps.

He was involved with John Lothian’s Plan of the City of Edinburgh (1825) and plans of Leith for John Wood’s Town Atlas of Scotland (1828)

Worked later for his son John.

BARTHOLOMEW: A SCOTTISH FAMILY HERITAGE Drawing for Carlisle Cumberland


This wasn’t George after all!

John Bartholomew, Senior 1805-1861


Veritable master copper plate engraver in Edinburgh

Engraved some fine maps for local firms, such as street maps for W.H. Lizars.

Inaugurated the firm in 1826 by setting himself up independently.

Had the vision to recognise the potential for the business. He was a shy man, holding back from public life.

A pioneer, encouraging his son to make contacts abroad and learn from the German school of cartography

Drawn and engraved by John Bartholomew (Senior) for W.H.Lizars

BARTHOLOMEW: A SCOTTISH FAMILY HERITAGE Directory Plan of Edinburgh 1826.


John “Senior” and his son move their business from home at East St James Street to 4 North Bridge

North Bridge, Edinburgh 1859-1870, looking south from Princes Street.

Bartholomew printing premises on left

John Bartholomew, Junior 1831-1898


He trained with August Petermann, German cartographer in London

Expanded business with draughtsmanship and lithographic printing

Introduced a pioneering system of layer colouring

Spent much time abroad visiting business contacts

Enriched firm’s tradition and its reputation for accurate, painstaking cartography.


Augustus Petermann – Pivotal influence on the destiny of the Bartholomew cartographic vision?


John Bartholomew, Junior 1831-1893

John Bartholomew begs respectfully to draw the attention of Lawyers, Engineers and Architects to his facilities for preparing Plans ….

… In the shortest possible notice and in the most correct and careful manner.


“We can recommend Mr Bartholomew as an excellent practical engraver and compiler of Maps etc., thoroughly acquainted with the Minutiae of his business. He possesses an extensive and recent knowledge of geography and is most attentive to any work he undertakes…”

John Junior’s neighbour and client, Adam Black (of A & C Black publishers)wrote of him:


John Junior introduces lithographic printing to the business. Print runs became huge, and profitable

From copper plate presses to lithography


John Junior’s new premises in Brown Square (now Chambers Street)

Company moves from North Bridge to Brown Square


British Empire growing: New territories explored and needing mapped.

Rail networks adding lines: Constantly needing to print new prospectuses and the maps to go with them.

Missionary societies: A veritable industry: Sending people into all remote corners of the globe.

Geography education popularised maps.

Besides maps, huge demand for engraving and coloured lithographic printing by other publishers (e.g. medical, biological and botanic textbooks).

The times were perfect for Bartholomew’s business to flourish.


Still mainly maps for other publishers: e.g. Blackwood’s County Maps: Sutherland


Maps mainly for other publishers: e.g. North British Railway (1846)

Railways proliferated and every new line required plans

BARTHOLOMEW: A SCOTTISH FAMILY HERITAGE John Junior introduced layer colouring, perfected later by his son (1880)

BARTHOLOMEW: A SCOTTISH FAMILY HERITAGE Layer colouring – the innovation

Bartholomew, Plate 46 of the Survey Atlas of Scotland, 1912

‘the mountains of poor Scotland [be] represented as sprawling and wriggling about like so many inebriated centipedes and convulsed caterpillars’

James Geikie, 1895John Thomson, Southern Part of Ross and Cromatry Shires, 1820

[Slide after: Chris Fleet, NLS]


John Bartholomew, Jr. commissioned to engrave the map of Treasure Island for Robert Louis Stevenson's bestseller. (1895 Edinburgh edition on left)

John's brother, Henry Bartholomew (1834-99), may have been the one who actually crafted it, though this is uncertain.

Treasure IslandJohn Bartholomew, Junior 1831-1893


Treasure Island


1885: John Junior heads to North America for three months to make connections

Bartholomew heritage 310113 part1

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