The Paper Store
The basement at Duncan Street was used exclusively to store one of Bartholomew's most important commodities — its supply of paper.
More about paper used for maps
Paper stock book
Bartholomew kept meticulous records regarding their paper supplies, such was the importance of this raw material.
This image is part of a page from one of Bartholomew’s paper books and it shows details of the quantity and quality of the paper received from a variety of paper mills.
Paper rationing book
Pages from a notebook kept by William Dickson, Production Manager at Bartholomew. It includes details of paper rationing, during the Second World War (1939-1945).
Here it refers to the firm's quota of paper from Tullis Russell, limited to 15 tonnes in the first quarter of 1940. This was only 60% of their quota of 1939.
William notes the special application the firm had to make for more paper to fulfil a stationery order.
Latex map of Cornwall
This Bartholomew half-inch to the mile map of Cornwall has been printed on latex, rather than paper. The map was printed in 1963, but the colours remain so vivid that it is easy to imagine it was printed yesterday.
Bartholomew were keen to embrace new technology, but there is no evidence they pursued latex as a printing medium beyond this experimental sheet.
Labels for Y Trotter & Son
Bartholomew sourced paper from many different paper mills but they also had a number as clients. These ornate labels were printed by Bartholomew for Y Trotter and Son’s paper mill, located at Chirnside Bridge, in Berwickshire.
Although there is little evidence that Bartholomew used paper from this particular mill, Bartholomew printed a wide variety of stationery for the firm between 1888 and 1916.
Advertising Macniven and Cameron pens
Macniven and Cameron were an Edinburgh-based, printing and stationery company. Bartholomew had a brief relationship with this firm, printing advertising for them from 1879-1880.
These advertisements refer to the firm's range of pen nibs, called the 'Waverley', the 'Pickwick', the 'Owl' and the 'Phaeton'.
Macniven and Cameron exercise books
This is a set of covers for 'The royal exercise book', which Bartholomew printed for stationer Macniven and Cameron, in 1879. The front cover includes Classical and Egyptian influenced imagery.
The back cover includes extensive advertising for Macniven and Cameron's products. One amusing oddity includes what they describe as their 'hand pen' for fancy writing.
