Edward Stanford was the founder of Stanford's Ltd now a duo of Map and book stores based in London, and Bristol

Bristol

Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...

, UK.

Biography

Born in 1827, and educated at the City of London School

City of London School

The City of London School is a boys' independent day school on the banks of the River Thames in the City of London, England. It is the brother school of the City of London School for Girls and the co-educational City of London Freemen's School...

, Edward got into maps after being employed by Mr Trelawney Saunders, at his map and stationers. He became a partner to Saunders in 1852 at the age of 25. Just one year later the company was dissolved, and Edward took over the remains of the business with the intent of turning it into a map specialists. With British colonial expansion

British Empire

The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...

 pushing the demand for maps worldwide, and being the sole specialist of maps in London, the move was both obvious and lucrative.

The name Stanfords became prominent in 1862 when his project to make the most accurate map of London possible was published. Stanford's Library Map of London is still on sale today, almost 150 years later.

Company ownership remained in the family until 1947, when it was absorbed into George Philip & Son. However, in 2001 Stanfords separated from George Philip & Son and the name Stanfords is proudly displayed on both stores and on many lines of maps and books produced by the company.

Further reading

• Edward Stanford was a contributor to The Winged Wolf: and Other Fairy Tales which is fully and openly available in the Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature Digital Collection. The book's title page lists the address for Edward Stanford as 26 & 27 Cockspur Street, Charing Cross, S.W.
• Stanford’s Library Map Of London And Its Suburbs 1864, Showing All The Proposed Metropolitan Railways and Improvements.
• Stanford's Geological Library Map Of London And Its Suburbs 1878.