The Charles Close Society for the study of Ordnance Survey Maps - Publications
Publications list as at April 2008. To Order
Projections and Origins, collected writings of
Brian Adams.Brian Adams was a unique man with unique knowledge. Most of the standard references for the projections, construction data and, in many cases, the sheet lines of nineteenth and early twentieth century Ordnance maps are to Brian's articles scattered through the Sheetlines of fifteen or more years ago. For further information you have to hunt through his contributions to the forwards and appendices to several of the Society's books, as well as two others by David Archer.
Roger Hellyer has now had the opportunity to go through Brian's papers and has discovered further, unpublished, data on similar subjects. To preserve all this information in one easily accessible source, and also as a tribute to a distinguished and much loved Honorary Member of the society, we have produced this book.
This monograph was first published in 1993 and has been far and away the Charles Close Society's best-selling publication. This reflects its immense value to students of Ordnance Survey (OS), map historians and local historians.
This new edition has 64 more pages, several new sections, and is issued in hard covers. It offers not only amplification and updating of the previous edition but also has the only up-to-date bibliography of writings on the OS. The chapter on the various scales of map published by the OS has been brought up to date to reflect the current position, and offers pithy assessments of the worth or otherwise of various types of map. All illustrations have been renewed or replaced.
A guide to the Ordnance Survey one-inch
Seventh SeriesThe Seventh Series was the final stage in the development of the Ordnance Survey one inch to one mile (1:63,360) map before its replacement in 1974-6 by the 1:50,000 scale, and was the only completed uniform, or nearly uniform, map series to cover Great Britain at this scale. Though initially published between 1952 and 1961, its origins really lay in the 1920s, and in the desire to replace engraving and lithography by photo-mechanical methods for the production of the one-inch map.
This booklet describes the origins and development of the Seventh Series and provides comprehensive sheet listings of its various editions and versions, together with the tourist maps derived from it. The present edition improves on its predecessors by correcting a few minor mistakes, adding some further details to the introductory essay which were gleaned from files which have become available to students at the Public Record Office since 1991, and adding a new section on changes to the design and specification of the maps.
Britain and IrelandMilitary maps contains listings by Roger Hellyer of all the gridded one-inch military map series of England and Wales, Scotland and Ireland, and, since the second world war, Great Britain and Northern Ireland. It is organised in two completely separate sections, the first describing those series carrying the War Office Cassini Grid, the second those carrying the National Grids of Great Britain and Ireland. There is a special section describing the military mapping of London in each part of the book.
Richard Oliver's essay unifies the whole, bringing us first to the point where in the 1920s the War Office was provided with its own separate set of plates for the one-inch map. It then describes how civilian and military versions of the map diverge, reaching perhaps their widest point of separation in War Revision, then Second War Revision, then gradually come together again as National Grid one-inch mapping develops, finally to reunite in the present 1:50,000 Landranger. The history of one-inch military mapping in Ireland and later Northern Ireland is similarly described.
The book is graphically illustrated by sixteen colour plates, eight monochrome plates, and seven index diagrams designed by Chris Higley. It has appendices including previously unpublished tables showing editions of GSGS 3907 and 3908, also sales copies, civilian printers and military printing units. This is supplemented by a concordance of military map numbers, a chronology, a bibliography and a diagram briefly showing the organisation of Military Survey, its predecessors and its successors, from 1791 to the present day.
This new book contains a detailed history and description of these maps by Richard Oliver. It builds on the original monographs by the late Guy Mesenger, and includes much new information, both historical and cartobibliographical. Roger Hellyers meticulous cartobibliography covers all the third edition coloured maps series.
Fantistic value.
The Revised
New Series colour printed one-inch map of England and Wales 1897-1914Tim Nicholson has written a comprehensive study of this important series which changed the image of Ordnance Survey maps. The public were offered for the first time a map printed in up to five colours, folded in covers to fit in a pocket. The origins and impact of the new map are treated exhaustively in part one The Story of the Map. The second part reviews all Aspects of the map series and third part contains a listing of all known Map States.
An essential source book for a neglected map series of considerable significance in the development of modern mapping in Britain.
Popular Maps. The Ordnance Survey Popular Edition
One Inch Map of England and Wales 1919-1926This book tells the story of the Popular Edition 
one-inch map of England and
Wales from sheet line construction to shop counter, and sets the
development of the map within the context of the evolution of
the one-inch series from 1801 to the 1930's. This book is the
first Charles Close Society publication illustrated with a range
of colour plates. It also includes a full catalogue of all known
printings of the 146 sheets of the map.
Dr Yolande Hodson is a founder member of the Charles Close Society and was for some time Chairman. She was formerly employed by Military Survey and then in the Map Room of the British Museum (now the Map Library, British Library), and has been Historical Consultant to Ordnance Survey and Military Survey.
This has now (2005) been replaced by a revised 2nd edition
"....an invaluable replacement to Harley’s standard
work and an essential source for archivists, librarians, historical
and environmental researchers alike."
This is a replacement for J.B. Harley's The Historian's Guide
to Ordnance Survey Maps, first published in 1964, and now
long out of print. Brian Harley had always intended to replace
it with something better but died before he was able to. Using
both Brians Harley's materials and former OS documents now deposited
with the Charles Close Socety, Richard Oliver has produced Ordnance
Survey maps: a concise guide for historians.
Prepared as a cartobibliographic update to the Margary volume
of Old Series facsimiles.
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Prepared as a cartobibliographic update to the Margary volume
of Old Series facsimiles.
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"The result is truly encyclopaedic. ... much material
for the railway historian." -John Loxton, Cartographic
Journal, 1994
"The definitive text on this complex subject including much
valuable information on Irish OS involvement. Tremendous value."
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"This is a fascinating booklet, written in an accessible
style, that documents an era in map making not just in Great Britian
but throughout Europe and North America" - Paul Ferguson,
Imago Mundi, 1996
"This slim booklet will surely be a standard reference for
any student of the nineteenth century maps of the Ordnance Survey,
or even later..." - Jeffrey Stone, Cartographic Journal,
1997
"...a must for anyone interested in OS maps, printing or
technology generally."
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"The standard text for this popular series." Out of print put a new edition has been published at the end of 2004. Click here for more details
"This small book is a work of formidable scholarship. The author is to be warmly congratulated on his sheer industry, persistence and attention to detail. The Charles Close Society is to be commended for publishing the book." - Patrick Bailey, Geographical Journal, 1990.
by Richard Oliver,
2000, 48pp, A5 Softback, £4.50 New
EditionThis is an update to Richard Oliver's 1989 booklet. It includes much new and hitherto unpublished material, particularly about the origins and development of the Fifth (Relief) Edition. It includes a more accurate and complete description of the map's production methods and a more complete listing of the maps.
Scotland.This is an update to the booklet produced in a very limited print run in 1990. It includes a far more complete list of printings of the maps, and a comprehensive introductory essay which describes the development of the mapping, most of it covering ground not covered at all in print hitherto.
by Richard Oliver,
2000, 60pp, A5, softback, £5.00 New
Edition This is also an update to Richard Oliver's 1989 booklet. The layout is more spacious, easier to use and includes a more complete list of printings. The introductory essay includes a new section discussing some aspects of the Popular-style (Wales and northern) sheets and takes account of new unpublished OS material, only available since 1989.
(Prepared as the catalogue to the RGS OS Bicentenary exhibition.
It is the fullest account of the One-inch map at present in print.)
SHEETLINESSome of these publications (mainly the early ones) are out of print and are marked as such. If you are interested in any of these please contact The Charles Close Society so that demand can be gauged for a reprint.
All cover prices include postage and packing for UK orders.
All other countries postage extra. Please make cheques payable
in STERLING to: "The Charles Close Society".
Please allow 28 days for delivery.
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