FOLDOUT
MAP
Baedeker's guidebooks were always filled with maps to help travelers orient where they were, though only three other maps in the book fold out in full like this one. Click on the image to zoom in and move around, double clicking to reorient it to its original size.
This map folds three times horizontally and four times vertically to fit snugly between the halftitle and the title page. It was most likely printed through the lithographic process and glued into the book after it was bound. To learn more about the map and its facing page, scroll down or select a button below.
TITLE PAGE
The title page contains just what it says; the title! It also usually includes the subtitle, if there is any, the author, the publisher, publishing date, and any pertinent information that will help the reader navigate the book or be able to contextualize it. Often the typeface was enlarged or minimized as it suited the page aesthetically, and unite the information as a cohesive piece, meant to represent the rest of the book.
This title page encapsulates the ease with which the guidebook will be used, as it outlines well what it is about, on whose authority you will be learning from, and just what to look for. Though it labels Baedeker as both author and publisher, this copy was most likely published in London. That there are three different publishers listed shows just how popular these books were for the turn-of-the-century traveler.
To learn more about book compilation, click on the button below.
MAP PRINTING
Most map creation and printing during this period was done by the lithographic process or copper engraving, which involved a chemically etched sheet of metal that was then painted with ink and wiped clean so that only the grooves that were etched would "print" when the rolling press went over it.
This map was done specifically for Baedeker's firm by Wagner & Debes in Leipzig, Germany. Most every map inserted into these guidebooks was done by these printers and each is extensively detailed and colored. Most Baedeker guidebooks that survive today do not have their maps anymore, purely because they are so beautifully done that most want to take it from the book to hang it on a wall.
To learn more about the printing process involved in map making, click on the button below.
That's all for the map!
Click on the arrow to the right or left to continue through the book, the arrow at the bottom to return to the top, or use the navigation bar to find something that interests you.