Belgium and The Netherlands
Cartographer : - Bartholomew, John & Heirs
- Date: - 1870
- Size: - 18 1/2in x 14in (470mm x 355mm)
- Ref#: - 80584
- Condition: - (A+) Fine Condition
Description:
This large beautifully coloured original antique lithograph map by John Bartholomew jr was published in George Phillip & Son Handy General Atlas in 1870.
General Definitions:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color : - off white
Age of map color: - Original
Colors used: - Blue, pink, red, green, yellow
General color appearance: - Authentic
Paper size: - 18 1/2in x 14in (470mm x 355mm)
Plate size: - 18 1/2in x 14in (470mm x 355mm)
Margins: - Min 1in (25mm)
Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - None
Verso: - None
John Bartholomew Sr. 1805 – 1861 was a Scottish cartographer and engraver. The son of George Bartholomew, engraver (1784–1871), John founded the engraving and mapmaking firm of John Bartholomew and Son Ltd. in 1826. Bartholomew also worked for George Philip & Son. He was a veritable master copper plate engraver and engraved fine maps for local firms, such as street maps for Lizars, others for the Encyclopædia Britannica and for some educational publishers like A & C Black. He was commissioned to engrave the map of Treasure Island for Robert Louis Stevenson.
John Sr. was the ideal person to inaugurate what became one of the most admired cartographic institutions in the world. A man of high standards, as were his successors; he was a superb engraver, engraving becoming the foundation of the firm; lithography would follow later. He also had the vision to recognise the potential for the firm. He was a shy man, holding back from public life.
In 1832–1833 James was living at 4 East St James Street (demolished to build the St James Centre).
In 1859, shortly before he died, John Senior passed the business on to his son John Bartholomew Junior.
John Bartholomew Jr 1831 – 1893 was a Scottish cartographer, born in Edinburgh. His father John Bartholomew Senior started a cartographical establishment where he learnt his craft.He was subsequently assistant to the German geographer August Petermann, until in 1856 when he took up the management of his fathers firm. Bartholomew built a reputation unsurpassed in Great Britain for the production of the finest cartographical work and for a time in-house cartographer for George Philip.
Bartholomew is best known for the development of colour contouring (or hypsometric tints), the system of representing altitudes on a graduated colour scale, with areas of high altitude in shades of brown and areas of low altitude in shades of green. He first showcased his colour contouring system at the Paris Exhibition of 1878; although it initially met with skepticism, it went on to become standard cartographical practice.
Among his numerous publications, particularly worthy of note is the series of maps of Great Britain reduced from the Ordnance Survey to scales of ½ inch and ¾ inch to 1 mile, with relief shown by contour lines and hypsometric tints. The ½ inch series is among the finest of its kind ever produced.
Upon his retirement in 1888, John Bartholomew was succeeded in the firm by his son John George, who extended the ½ inch series, and applied its principles to many other works.
John George Bartholomew 1860 – 1920 was a British cartographer and geographer. As a holder of a royal warrant, he used the title Cartographer to the King; for this reason he was sometimes known by the epithet the Prince of Cartography.
His lasting legacy is arguably naming the continent of Antarctica, which until his use of the term in 1890 had been largely ignored due to its lack of resources and harsh climate.
Under his administration the family business became one of the top operations in its field. Bartholomew himself was not merely a specialist in production, but also a talented geographer and cartographer. It was he who introduced the use of coloured contour layer maps; he also anticipated the needs of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century travelers by publishing street maps of major cities, cycling maps, railway timetable maps, and road maps for automobiles.
He collaborated with major scientific figures and travellers of the period on projects involving their studies. Bartholomews Atlas of Meteorology and Atlas of Zoogeography were issues from a planned five-volume series that was never completed. Before he died he was able to plan out the first edition of the Times Survey Atlas of the World; this and its succeeding editions represent the most successful atlas project of the twentieth century.
What is an Antique Map
The word Antique in the traditional sense refers to an item that is more than a hundred years old. In the past maps were sold in two forms, as a single sheet (broadsheet) or bound in an atlas or book. The majority of antique maps for sale today come from books or atlases and have survived due to the protection offered by the hardback covers.
When considering a purchaseThe first thing to determine when staring a collection or purchasing an item, is what is important to you. Most collectors prefer to build their collections around a theme. You may decide to collect maps from one region or country, charting its development through time. Similarly you could collect maps of one particular period in time, by type (i.e. sea or celestial charts) or by cartographer. The collector might also want to consider the theme of cartographical misconceptions such as California as an island or Australia as Terra Australis or the Great Southern Land.
The subject is so wide that any would-be-collector has almost endless possibilities to find his own little niche within the field, and thereby build a rewarding collection.
Pricing is based on a number of different factors, the most important of which is regional. In any series of maps the most valuable are usually the World Map and the America/North America. The World because it is usually the most decorative and America because it has the strongest regional market. Other factors that come into play re: price is rarity, age, size, historical importance, decorative value (colour) and overall condition and quality of paper it is printed on.
As specialised dealers, we frequently work with first time map buyers who are just starting their collection. Guiding new collectors on their first antique map purchase and helping new collectors to focus their interests is one of the most rewarding aspects of being an rare map dealer. So please do not hesitate to contact us and we will be happy to help with any questions you may have.
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About USClassical Images was founded 1998 and has built an excellent reputation for supplying high quality original antiquarian maps, historical atlases, antique books and prints. We carry an extensive inventory of antiquarian collectibles from the 15th to 19th century. Our collection typically includes rare books and decorative antique maps and prints by renowned cartographers, authors and engravers. Specific items not listed may be sourced on request.
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