Dear Chris,
Thankyou for both setting out not only the problem but also sources tried -
just what one wishes all enquirers would do (('a model of its kind' one
might say!).
Johnston & Bacon were trading as such until least 1975, viz copy in Map Room
here of:-
'Your guide map to Northumbria the holiday kingdom / cartography by Morrison
& Gibb, Edinburgh. - Scale 1:350 000. - Edinburgh ; London : Johnston &
Bacon, 1975. - (Guide map ser. ; 9). - ISBN 0-7179-4197-3. - Acc. in RGS Map
Room : 15.7.1975
I have momentarily failed to come up with hard evidence of the next form of
the imprint after the firm had been swallowed up by Macmillan - not entirely
unsurprising when one considers that Macmillan had formerly used W. & A.K.
Johnston cartography for some of their atlases. But this is at least a clue
for you. Where, in such cases as this, are all our copyright libraries with
their computer records that can search Boolean-wise . . . ?
Francis
[log in to unmask]
http://www.rgs.org [see 'Collections'/'Unlocking the Archives']
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Fleet [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 10 March 2003 10:53
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: W & AK Johnston copyright?
Hello lis-mappers,
Don't know if we can embarass ourselves with a quick query about
Scottish mapmakers, W & AK Johnston, we feel we really ought to know the
answer to? One of our readers (for whom no other map will do) has asked
if we can reproduce an in-copyright 1940s map published by them, and we
wondered if anyone is traceable as the copyright owner of their maps who
could grant us permission?
We are aware that W. & A.K. Johnston traded up to ca. 1972, although
merged with G.W. Bacon & Co. to become W. & A.K. Johnston & G.W. Bacon
Ltd. In about 1967 their name was changed to Johnston & Bacon, based in
Stirling, and their publishing seemed to shift to primarily
non-cartographic materials. At around the same time, an archive of
Johnston material was placed in NLS. Although some of their earlier
materials were acquired by Bartholomew, our helpful sources there have
not claimed any copyright ownership over 1950s W. & A.K. Johnston items.
Time has only allowed us a brief foray through the usual sources. David
Smith's article 'The Business of W. & A.K. Johnston, 1826-1901, IMCoS
Journal 82 (Autumn 2000), 9-19, is very good on the 19th century history
of the firm, as is 'One hundred years of map making: the story of W. &
A.K. Johnston' (Edinburgh, 1925). We've also had a quick look a few
other David Smith books and articles on other map-makers, as well as
through the latest editions of Tooley, and Sheetlines, without any
obvious joy.
Another very helpful reader, currently about to publish a book on Keith
Johnston and his African expedition in the 1870s, has also had no luck
tracing any current W & AK J copyright owners, and also confirmed that
the family link with the firm ceased around 1910.
Any ideas or thoughts on the possible copyright owner W & AK Johnston
maps would be gratefully appreciated, before we can claim we've made
reasonable efforts to track the copyright owner down!
Thanks to all,
Chris
Christopher Fleet
Map Library
National Library of Scotland
33 Salisbury Place
Edinburgh
EH9 1SL.
Tel. 0131 466 3813
Fax. 0131 466 3812
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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