Mapmaking and printing from 1820 to 2002

The Bartholomew Archive is the remarkable record of the Edinburgh-based firm of map engravers, printers and publishers, John Bartholomew & Son Ltd. It is one of the most extensive cartographic archives available for research in a public institution.

Members of the Bartholomew family were engaged in map-making from the first known map engraving work of George Bartholomew in 1825. John Bartholomew junior started printing operations before 1870. For more than a century afterwards the Bartholomew firm specialised in high-quality map production.
Importance of the archive

The Bartholomew Archive enables us to:

* Trace the development of the Bartholomew firm and its operations
* Record the progress of a Bartholomew map from initial idea to publication
* See examples of maps and other general engraving and printing work made for other publishers.

Material in the archive includes:

* Records documenting the firm's daily operations, management and staff
* Maps, plans and correspondence from around the world used to prepare and revise Bartholomew publications
* Engraved copper plates and glass printing plates
* Publicity and advertising of the Bartholomew firm and competitor publishing firms.