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 .
Celebrating Peanuts
(Photo credit: andrewsmcmeel.com) (Image shows the cover of the book which is an illustration of Charlie Brown hugging Snoopy) ‘Celebrating Peanuts’ by Charles M. Schulz This special anniversary tribute celebrating 60 years of the most successful comic strip, features more than 500 pages of classic “Peanuts” comic strips in both black and white and colour. […]
Shady dealings in the whisky underworld
Robert Paterson Pattison and Walter Gilchrist Gray Pattison may sound suspiciously Gilbert & Sullivan but were in fact real life Victorian whisky and scandal merchants. Their Leith based dynasty fronted a murky world of fraud and embezzlement that when discovered, shocked all of Edinburgh and caused a sensation.
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.
The Railway Map of Sweden
Today’s entry is dedicated to all Swedish railway enthusiasts and all enthusiasts of Swedish railways. Here is the Railway Map of Sweden.
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 […]