Cyclist's Touring Club letters

John George Bartholomew realised that both Bartholomew and the Cyclist's Touring Club could benefit from a collaboration. On 3 June 1898, he wrote to the CTC's Secretary with the following suggestion:

'Our proposal is to undertake a thorough revision of our maps and issue a new series to meet the full requirements of the CTC so that they will at once be the most complete and accurate maps available for cyclists.'

This would be achieved by turning CTC members into an unofficial surveying army, feeding back reliable and accurate topographical information which Bartholomew would then use to update their maps. In return, CTC members received a discounted price for half inch series maps. It proved to be a mutually beneficial relationship which endured for at least the next two decades.

The five letters reproduced here demonstrate the kind of information Bartholomew routinely received from the CTC.

  • Thumbnail: Detail from typed letter
  • Thumbnail: Detail from typed letter
  • Thumbnail: Detail from typed letter
  • Thumbnail: Detail from typed letter
  • Thumbnail: Detail from typed letter
First page of a typed letter

Letter from E Tradewell, 1915

Cyclist's Touring Club member E Tradewell wrote to Bartholomew in August 1915 giving information about the road from York via Selby. The condition of some of this route is — he states, candidly — 'rotten'.

Transcript of E Tradewell letter

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Second page of a typed letter

Letter from H W Crapp, 1914

This letter from Cyclist's Touring Club member Herbert W Crapp in 1914 contains suggested improvements to Bartholomew's 'Road surface map of London'.

Transcript of H W Crapp letter

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Third page of a typed letter

Letter from W Burke, March 1915

In this letter, the Cyclist's Touring Club Secretary, W Burke, actively seeks more work from Bartholomew due to some of the more unexpected effects of the First World War.

Transcript of W Burke letter 1

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Third page of a typed letter

Letter from W Burke, April 1915

W Burke, the Cyclist's Touring Club Secretary, wrote to Bartholomew in 1915. He letter briefly refers to some of the anti-social behaviour cyclists might be accused of.

Transcript of W Burke letter 2

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Third page of a typed letter

Letter from W Burke, June 1915

Writing to Bartholomew in 1915 Cyclist's Touring Club Secretary W Burke refers to some of the pitfalls of their reliance of the postal service.

Transcript of W Burke letter 3

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