Exhibition (review): Putting Scotland on the Map - The World of John Bartholomew & Son

I cannot believe that I have not blogged in the first 5 months in 2013! I know it might not be a good excuse but it was a total chaos for a museum re-opened in late February and endless follow-ups after the opening.

Of course, being away to the United Kingdom for 5 weeks was the another excuse.

But at least I kept my own promise in which I visited this exhibition and spent a fruitful 5-hour at the Bartholomew Archive. 8th April 2013 was my Bartholomew's Day.

Exhibition title: Putting Scotland on the Map - The World of John Bartholomew & Son
Exhibition period: 7th December 2012 - 7th May 2013
Admission: Free of charge
Venue: National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW
Date of visit: 8th April 2013
Duration: 45 minutes

official poster

leaflet (front)

leaflet (back)

I paid a visit right after dating my Bartholomew's pictorial maps at the Archives. It was already 3:20 p.m. and I still did not have lunch. The exhibition was housed at the exhibition room of the National Library of Scotland on George IV Bridge. But when I entered the exhibition room I was slightly disappointed since the room is fairly small (approximate 350m²) and it was not  'being the firm's Duncan Street building back to life, with an Edwardian office and mapmaking factory feel'. Anyway, it was so far a brief introduction of the Bartholomews, the key steps of mapmaking process and the operation of the family firm.

I liked the copperplate engravers' handmade tools exhibited with a video showing the process. Even though the video was taken some years ago in 1980s, it gave the visitors an understanding how did an image engraved on a copperplate and the length of the video was good (within 5 minutes).

The coverage of the histories of the family and the firm were appropriate but if there were more old photographs and floor plan of the Duncan Street premises, it should be great.

It is not fair if it is too picky to criticize the exhibition as it was the first time the Library exhibited a selection of objects and archives from the Bartholomew Archive. Thank you so much for their efforts. I was glad I was there.

It was a shame that I should have applied a permit for photography, if possible. I could not remember the exact layout of the whole exhibition with my poor memory after 6 weeks. 

4 large posters hung outside of the building