Sign In

- Or use -
Forgot Password Create Account
Description

Denmark, published by William Lizars in Edinburgh circa 1830, offers a comprehensive mapping of that nation during an era of European transition. With outline hand-coloring by province, the map showcases the roads, forests, and significant cities that punctuated Denmark's landscape at the time.

The early 19th century was a time of considerable change and evolution for Europe, with nations redefining their borders and power dynamics, especially following the Napoleonic Wars. Denmark, being a significant maritime nation with strategic importance in Northern Europe, played a pivotal role in these developments.

Condition Description
Original hand-color in outline.
William Home Lizars Biography

The Lizars were a Scottish family of engravers and printers who produced many views and maps. Daniel Lizars Sr. (1754-1812) was the son of a shoemaker, but he apprenticed with Andrew Bell, a printer and engraver. Lizars set up his own printworks near St. Giles Cathedral and took on his own apprentices, including George Bartholomew, whose son John would go on to found the important mapmaking firm later know as John Bartholomew & Son Ltd.  

Daniel Sr. had three sons: Daniel Jr., John, and William Home. He also had a daughter, Jane Home. Daniel Jr. (1793-1875), the youngest of the boys, apprenticed in his father’s shop alongside George Bartholomew. When his father died in 1812, Daniel Jr. took over much of the business, expanding it and specializing in maps. The company went bankrupt in 1832, however, and Daniel emigrated to Canada.

John Lizars (1792-1860), the middle son, studied medicine and became Professor of Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, as well as senior surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.

William Home Lizars (1788-1859), the eldest, also apprenticed in his father’s shop. After learning engraving, William entered the Trustees’ Academy to learn under John Graham. He was a skilled painter and artist. When his father died, and after his Daniel Jr. left, he carried on printing and invented a method of etching that looks like wood engraving.