On Thursday 20th. February 2025, John Moore gave a talk in Rutherglen Library on the history of mapmaking in Scotland. His illustrated presentation included many historical maps of Rutherglen.
An appreciative audience of 25, comprising Heritage Society members, website subscribers and guests, learned about the evolution of mapmaking from its earliest days. This included examples of the work of such early pioneers as Timothy Pont and Johannes Blaeu in the 16th. and 17th. centuries.
John, who is a specialist in Scottish cartography and was at one time Collections Manager at Glasgow University Library, then traced the development of mapmaking in Scotland through the 18th. century including William Roy's 1754 Military Survey of Scotland. John also talked about the early days of the Ordnance Survey in the 19th. Century and the advent of the series of maps by Bartholomew.
The talk concluded with John comparing the early techniques of mapmaking including triangulation with modern methods such as aerial photography.
This was the second of the Heritage Society's winter talks for 2024/25. Many thanks to Rutherglen Library for letting us hold the talk under the dome there and for providing the screen and projector.
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