It is now 70 years since the death of John Buchan in Canada in 1940 and he remains a popular figure courtesy of regular adaptations in various media and some handsome reprints of his books.The Thirty Nine Steps is the most famous title, but there are many others worth exploring.
Category: 20th-century items
Oor Wullie at NLS
This week Modern Scottish Collections has been in the news re our recent purchase of the first two Oor Wullie annuals.
The price you pay
It may sometimes seem as though there is a map for everything, but this was decidedly proven when I stumbled upon this unlikely map with the theme of life insurance.
Scottish opera stars
We have recently added some interesting early 20th century items to our collections associated with two of the famous names from Scotland’s musical past.
The makings of a map
Perhaps the key strength of the Bartholomew Archive is the ability to trace the development of a map from idea to finished product. This can at times afford a unique insight into the motivation, techniques and business practises of one of the world’s foremost cartographic firms. In general, the Bartholomew Archive Printing Record presents a […]
New at NLS : Football in verse
A rare 1923 publication has just arrived here at NLS, Football in verse containing over 90 poems by J. Aitken Brown, mostly about Edinburgh’s favourite teams Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian.
Reading Room mystery
I’ve now got my hands on Louise Welsh’s new novel from Canongate, Naming the bones and am intrigued by the opening scenes of the thriller – set here in our very own National Library of Scotland .
The Most Popular Atlas Ever Published
You’d be forgiven for thinking that this superlative description was a reference to The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World, however, the uncharacteristic hubris used in this advertising actually concerns Bartholomew’s Citizen’s Atlas of the World.
Likable Advertising: An Oxymoron?
I have a tendency to shudder at the mere thought of advertising. The idea of television programmes which tantalisingly countdown the top 100 adverts fill me with dread, on many levels. Can something so inherently awful ever be beautiful? Of course, it turns out that the answer is yes. Until now this blog has focused […]
The Empire Strikes Back
As 2009 draws to its inevitable conclusion it seems appropriate to mark the occasion by saving, in my opinion, the best ’till last. To stumble across something of interest in the Bartholomew Archive Printing Record is, in all honesty, almost inevitable. Items printed by Bartholomew can have a genuine cartographic value, they can have great […]