Edward Heawood

{{Infobox person | name =  | image = Edward Heawood portrait published 1950.jpg | alt =  | caption = | birth_name =  | birth_date = {{Birth date|1863|08|26}}  | birth_place = [[Newport, Shropshire]] | death_date = {{Death date and age|1949|04|30|1863|08|26}}  | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = Librarian, Geographer | years_active = | known_for = [[Filigranology]], [[History of cartography]] | notable_works = }}

'''Edward Heawood''' (26 August 1863–30 Apr 1949) was a British geographer who was librarian to the [[Royal Geographical Society]] from 1901 to 1934. He published extensively on the history of [[Age of Discovery|discovery]] and [[History of cartography|cartography]]. He is particularly noted for his work on paper and [[filigranology]], the study of watermarks, as a means of dating maps and other documents.

==Life and work== Heawood was born in [[Newport, Shropshire]]. His father was headmaster of Newport School, and later became Rector of [[Combs, Suffolk]]. Edward was educated at [[Ipswich School|Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Ipswich]], and [[Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]].<ref name=CroneWatermarks>Crone, G.R. (1950) "Edward Heawood 1863-1949". In: Heawood, E. 1950, Watermarks, Mainly of the 17th and 18th Centuries. Paper Publications Society, pp 17-19</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Contemporary birthdays |journal=Nature |date=26 August 1926 |volume=118 |issue=1264 |page=287 |doi=10.1038/118287A0 |bibcode=1926Natur.118Q.287. }}</ref> After graduating from Cambridge in 1886, he became a Fellow of the [[Royal Geographical Society]] and trained in surveying, geology and botany, and then spent two years in the [[Dooars]], south of the [[Himalayas]] in [[Bengal]], assisting in establishing a colony of the [[Santal people]].<ref name=CroneWatermarks/><ref name=ACAD>{{cite web |title=Edward Heawood |url=https://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search-2018.pl?sur=&suro=w&fir=&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&z=all&tex=HWT883E&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=5 |website=ACAD A Cambridge Alumni Database |publisher=University of Cambridge |access-date=10 July 2025}}</ref><ref name=Obit>{{cite journal | last1=Crone | first1=G. R. | title=Mr. Edward Heawood | journal=Nature | volume=163 | issue=4154 | date=1949-06-11 | issn=0028-0836 | doi=10.1038/163901a0 | doi-access=free | pages=901 | bibcode=1949Natur.163..901C | url=https://www.nature.com/articles/163901a0.pdf | access-date=2025-07-10}}</ref> Returning to England, he joined the staff of the Royal Geographical Society as an assistant, working on the [[Geographical Journal]], which had been recently started, and in the library. In 1901 he became the Society's librarian, a post he held until 1934. During this period he greatly expanded the Library's collections, in particular of early geographical material including early printed atlases and texts.<ref name=Obit/><ref name=MapRoom>{{cite journal | last1=Crone | first1=G. R. | last2=Day | first2=E. E. T. | title=The Map Room of the Royal Geographical Society | journal=The Geographical Journal | volume=126 | issue=1 | date=1960 | pages=12–17 | doi=10.2307/1790424 | jstor=1790424 | bibcode=1960GeogJ.126...12C }}</ref> As well as expanding and cataloguing the collections, Heawood also supervised two major moves of the library, from [[Savile Row]] to [[Lowther Lodge]], and then to the new library opened in 1930.<ref name=RGSLibrary>{{cite journal | last1=Crone | first1=G. R. | title=The Library of the Royal Geographical Society | journal=The Geographical Journal | volume=121 | issue=1 | date=1955 | jstor=1791804 | pages=27–32 | doi=10.2307/1791804 | bibcode=1955GeogJ.121...27C }}</ref> In 1908, He was appointed as the first permanent treasurer of the [[Hakluyt Society]], a post he held for 38 years.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Howgego |first1=Raymond John |title=The History of the Hakluyt Society |url=https://www.hakluyt.com/the-history-of-the-hakluyt-society/ |website=The Hakluyt Society |date=23 June 2019 |access-date=14 July 2025}}</ref>

[[File:Heawood 1912 170 Central Africa.jpg|thumb|left |Evolution of Central African cartography. From Heawood (1912)]]Heawood published extensively on early maps and the history of geographic discovery, and was described by [[Helen Wallis]], Superintendent of the Map Room of the [[British Library]] as the "pre-eminent authority" in this field.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Wallis | first1=Helen | title=My Head Is A Map: Essays and memoirs in honour of R.V. Tooley | date=1973 | chapter=Preface |editor-last1=Wallis | editor-first1=Helen | editor-last2=Tyacke | editor-first2=Sarah| publisher=Kunstpedia Foundation | isbn=978-90-816542-1-0 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rJqXbj4QwKcC | access-date=2025-07-10 | page=}}</ref> His most substantial work was ''A History of Geographical Discovery in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries'' (1912). In his Preface, Heawood remarks that the period is outside the "Age of Great Discoveries", and that while individual episodes have been described, a connected view of the period was lacking.<ref>Heawood (1912) p. v</ref> He increasingly studied the map sources of this and earlier periods. Some of his published accounts are of maps and atlases acquired by the Society, for example the [[Jodocus Hondius|Hondius]] map of 1608;<ref>Heawood (1919)</ref> and some relate to newly discovered maps in other collections, such as the [[Contarini–Rosselli map|Contarini–Rosselli world map]] of 1506 acquired by the [[British Museum]] in 1922.<ref>Heawood (1923)</ref> Gerald Crone, Heawood/s successor as Librarian to the Royal Geographical Society, remarked that "there was scarcely any important contribution to the study [of the history of cartography] that he did not review, critically but fairly, in ''The Geographical Journal''".<ref name=CroneWatermarks/> Heawood was much in favour of the publication of facsimiles of historical maps, and reviewed a number of these productions over the years.<ref>Heawood (1904)</ref><ref>Heawood (1930a)</ref>

[[File:Fool's Cap Marks 120 & 121 cropped from Heawood 1924 Watermarks 113-156.jpg|thumb|Two versions of the "Fool's Cap", a common watermark in 17th-century English printing. From Heawood (1924)]]In 1907, [[Charles-Moïse Briquet|Briquet]] published his four-volume work on [[filigranology]], the study of watermarks.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Briquet | first1=Charles-Moïse | title=Les filigranes | publisher=A. Jullien | date=1907 | language=fr }} [https://archive.org/details/BriquetLesFiligranes1 Volume 1]; [https://archive.org/details/BriquetLesFiligranes2 Volume 2]; [https://archive.org/details/BriquetLesFiligranes3 Volume 3]; [https://archive.org/details/BriquetLesFiligranes4 Volume 4]. Second edition (1923, Leipzig: Hiersemann): [https://archive.org/details/b31359450_0001 Volume 1]; [https://archive.org/details/b31359450_0002 Volume 2]; [https://archive.org/details/b31359450_0003 Volume 3]; [https://archive.org/details/b31359450_0004 Volume 4].</ref> Heawood had already been struck by the distinctive forms of watermarks in some of the documents he was working on, and Briquet's work stimulated him to work systematically on this topic, both for the dating of documents and for investigation into the sources of the paper used in book and map production. Briquet's cataloguing work covered the period up to 1600, and focussed mainly on manuscripts. Heawood, being greatly interested in the 17th- and 18th-centuries, and working largely with printed sources, was thus able to complement Briquet's great work. His first publication in this area, ''The use of watermarks in dating old maps and documents'' appeared in 1924 in ''The Geographical Journal'', and established his reputation as a filigranologist.<ref name=CroneWatermarks/> It was reprinted as an appendix to a book on old maps and globes in 1965.<ref>{{cite book | last1=Lister | first1=Raymond | title=How to Identify Old Maps and Globes: With a List of Cartographers, Engravers, Publishers, and Printers Concerned with Printed Maps and Globes from C. 1500 to C. 1850 | publisher=Archon Books | date=1965 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6iSAAAAAMAAJ | access-date=2025-07-13 | page=}}</ref> The 1924 article was followed by a series of papers in ''The Library'' between 1928 and 1948. This research culminated in ''Watermarks: Mainly of the 17th and 18th Centuries'' which described and illustrated over 4000 watermarks. The project was made possible by E.J. Labarre, founder of the Paper Publications Society, which published ''Watermarks'' in 1950.<ref name=CroneWatermarks/><ref name=Stevenson>{{cite journal |last1=Stevenson |first1=Allan H. |title=A Critical Study of Heawood's" Watermarks Mainly of the 17th and 18th Centuries" |journal=The Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America |date=1951 |volume=45 |issue=1 |pages=23–36 |doi=10.1086/pbsa.45.1.24298685 }}</ref><ref name=Hazen>{{cite journal |last1=Hazen |first1=A.T. |title=Review of Watermarks Mainly of the 17th and 18th Centuries, by E. Heawood |journal=The Library Quarterly |date=1952 |volume=22 |issue=1 |page=51-53 |doi=10.1086/617846 }}</ref>

Heawood died on 30 April 1949, before completing the editing of ''Watermarks''. According to Crone, he was working on indexing marks on the day of his death.<ref name=CroneWatermarks/> Crone and Labarre completed the editing work.<ref name=Stevenson/><ref name=Hazen/> Heawood was survived by his wife Lucy. They had married in 1895.<ref name=CroneWatermarks/> In 1933 Heawood received the Research Medal of the [[Royal Scottish Geographical Society]], and in 1934 the [[Victoria Medal (geography)|Victoria Medal]] of the Royal Geographical Society.<ref name=Obit/>

==References== {{reflist}}

==Selected bibliography== *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward |title=Dr. Baumann's Journey through East Africa |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1894 |volume=4 |issue=3 |pages=246–250 |doi=10.2307/1774238 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1894-the-geographical-journal-1894-volume-4|jstor=1774238 |bibcode=1894GeogJ...4..246H }} *{{cite book | last1=Heawood | first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=Geography of Africa | publisher=Macmillan & Company | date=1896 | url=https://archive.org/details/geographyofafric00heaw }} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=Some New Books on Africa |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1899 |volume=13 |issue=4 |pages=412–422 |doi=10.2307/1774831 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1899-the-geographical-journal-1899-volume-13 |jstor=1774831 |bibcode=1899GeogJ..13..412H }} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=Was Australia Discovered in the Sixteenth Century? |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1899 |volume=14 |issue=4 |pages=421–426 |doi=10.2307/1774453 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1899-the-geographical-journal-1899-volume-14 |jstor=1774453 |bibcode=1899GeogJ..14..421H }} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=The commercial resources of tropical Africa |journal=Scottish Geographical Magazine |date=1900 |volume=16 |issue=11 |page=651-657 |doi=10.1080/00369220008733202 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1900-scottishgeograph-16scotuoft-1900-volume-16}} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=The Waldseemüller Facsimiles |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1904 |volume=23 |issue=6 |pages=760–770 |doi=10.2307/1776494 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1904-the-geographical-journal-1904-volume-23 |jstor=1776494}} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=Marine World Chart of Nicolo de Canerio Januensis, 1502 (circa) |journal=The English Historical Review |date=1909 |volume=24 |issue=94 |pages=351–353 |doi=10.1093/ehr/XXIV.XCIV.351 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1909-sim-english-historical-review-1909-04-24-94|jstor=549675}} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=Martin Behaim; His Life and His Globe |journal=The English Historical Review |date=1909 |volume=24 |issue=96 |pages=790–792 |doi=10.1093/ehr/XXIV.XCVI.790 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1909-sim-english-historical-review-1909-10-24-96|jstor=550465}} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=Some Cartographical Documents of the Age of Great Discoveries |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1909 |volume=33 |issue=6 |pages=679–688 |doi=10.2307/1777555 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1909-the-geographical-journal-1909-volume-33 |jstor=1777555}} *{{cite book | last1=Heawood | first1=Edward | author-mask=2 | title=A History of Geographical Discovery in the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries | publisher=Cambridge University Press | date=1912 | url=https://archive.org/details/cu31924032379764 | page=}} *{{cite journal | last1=Heawood | first1=Edward | author-mask=2 | title=Hondius and His Newly-Found Map of 1608 | journal=The Geographical Journal | volume=54 | issue=3 | date=1919 | pages=178–184 | doi=10.2307/1780058 | jstor=1780058 | bibcode=1919GeogJ..54..178H }} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=The Historical Geography of Northern Eurasia |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1920 |volume=56 |issue=6 |pages=491–496 |doi=10.2307/1780472 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1920-the-geographical-journal-1920-volume-56 |jstor=1780472 |bibcode=1920GeogJ..56..491H }} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=The world map before and after Magellan's voyage |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1921 |volume=57 |issue=6 |pages=431–442 |doi=10.2307/1780791 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1921-sim-geographical-journal-1921-06-57-6 |jstor=1780791 |bibcode=1921GeogJ..57..431H }} *{{cite journal | last1=Heawood | first1=Edward | author-mask=2 | title=A Hitherto Unknown World Map of A. D. 1506 | journal=The Geographical Journal | volume=62 | issue=4 | date=1923 | pages=279–293 | doi=10.2307/1781021 | jstor=1781021 | bibcode=1923GeogJ..62..279H }} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=The Use of Watermarks in Dating Old Maps and Documents |journal=The Geographical Journal |date=1924 |volume=63 |issue=5 |pages=391–410 |doi=10.2307/1781227 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1924-watermarks |jstor=1781227 |bibcode=1924GeogJ..63..391H }} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=The position on the sheet of early watermarks |journal=The Library |date=1928 |volume=4th Series Volume 9 |pages=38–47 |doi=10.1093/library/s4-IX.1.38 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1928-sim-library-1928-06-9-1}} *{{cite journal |last1=Heawood |first1=Edward | author-mask=2 |title=Sources of early English paper supply |journal=The Library |date=1929 |volume=4th Series Volume 10 |issue=3 |pages=282–307 |doi=10.1093/library/s4-X.3.282 |url=https://archive.org/details/heawood-1929-sim-library-1929-12-10-3}} *{{cite journal | last1=Heawood | first1=Edward | author-mask=2| title=Reproductions of Notable Early Maps | journal=The Geographical Journal | volume=76 | issue=3 | date=1930a | pages=240–248 | jstor=1784798 | doi=10.2307/1784798 | bibcode=1930GeogJ..76..240H }} *{{cite journal | last1=Heawood | first1=Edward | author-mask=2 | title=Paper used in England after 1600: I The Seventeenth Century to c. 1680 | journal=The Library | volume=4th Series Volume 11 | issue=3 | date=1930b | issn=0024-2160 | doi=10.1093/library/s4-XI.3.263 | pages=263–299 }} *{{cite journal | last1=Heawood | first1=Edward | author-mask=2 | title=Paper used in England after 1600: II. c. 1680-1750 | journal=The Library | volume=4th Series Volume 11 | issue=4 | date=1931 | issn=0024-2160 | doi=10.1093/library/s4-XI.4.466 | pages=466–498 }} *{{cite journal | last=Heawood | first=Edward | author-mask=2 | title=Further Notes on Paper used in England after 1600 | journal=The Library | volume=5th Series Volume 2 | issue=2–3 | date=1947 | issn=0024-2160 | doi=10.1093/library/s5-II.2-3.119 | pages=119–149 }} *{{cite book | last1=Heawood | first1=E. | author-mask=2 | title=Watermarks, Mainly of the 17th and 18th Centuries | publisher=Paper Publications Society | place=Hilversum | year=1950 | page=}}

==External links== {{Commons Category|Edward Heawood}} {{Wikisource|Edward Heawood}} *[https://www.rgs.org/ Royal Geographical Society]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Heawood, Edward}} [[Category:20th-century British librarians]] [[Category:British geographers]] [[Category:Alumni of Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge]] [[Category:Victoria Medal recipients]] [[Category:Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society]] [[Category:1863 births]] [[Category:1949 deaths]]