{"product_id":"george-town-penang-1912","title":"George Town Penang, 1912","description":"\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"3\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"3\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eTitle:\u003c\/b\u003e Plan of George Town, Penang\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"4\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eCartographer:\u003c\/b\u003e John Bartholomew \u0026amp; Co. (for the \u003ci data-path-to-node=\"4\" data-index-in-node=\"46\"\u003eDirectory \u0026amp; Chronicle\u003c\/i\u003e)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"5\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/b\u003e Hong Kong \/ Edinburgh\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eDate:\u003c\/b\u003e 1912\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"7\" data-index-in-node=\"0\" style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e Color-printed lithograph\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-path-to-node=\"8\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"8\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Narrative: A Colonial Port at the Height of its Power\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"9\"\u003eBy 1912, George Town had evolved from a fledgling trading post into one of the most vital hubs of the British Straits Settlements. This map tells the story of an orderly, thriving colonial city at its Edwardian peak. Unlike the decorative sea charts of the previous centuries, this is a \"working map,\" designed for the merchants, administrators, and travelers who navigated the streets of the \"Pearl of the Orient\" just two years before the outbreak of World War I.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"10\"\u003eIt captures a moment in time when the British administrative footprint was firmly stamped onto the landscape, yet the indigenous and immigrant names of the districts—\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"166\"\u003eKelawai\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"175\"\u003eTelok Ayer Raja\u003c\/b\u003e, and \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"10\" data-index-in-node=\"196\"\u003eDato Kramat\u003c\/b\u003e—remained the lifeblood of the city's geography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch4 data-path-to-node=\"11\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"11\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eChronicles of the Map\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cul data-path-to-node=\"12\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,0,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Heart of British Administration:\u003c\/b\u003e In the top right corner, clustered around the harbour, you can see the nerve center of the colony: \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"136\"\u003eFort Cornwallis\u003c\/b\u003e, the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"157\"\u003eTown Hall\u003c\/b\u003e, and the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,0,0\" data-index-in-node=\"176\"\u003eEsplanade\u003c\/b\u003e. This small grid represents the seat of power from which the British governed the shipping lanes of the Malacca Straits.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,1,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eThe Race Course \u0026amp; Leisure:\u003c\/b\u003e To the left, the large oval of the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"62\"\u003eRace Course\u003c\/b\u003e and the surrounding \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"94\"\u003eGolf Club\u003c\/b\u003e and \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,1,0\" data-index-in-node=\"108\"\u003eResidency\u003c\/b\u003e tell the story of colonial social life. This area was the enclave of the British elite, situated away from the humid bustle of the commercial waterfront.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,2,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eA Multilingual Landscape:\u003c\/b\u003e The map is a fascinating linguistic record. It blends English administrative terms like \"Military Lines\" and \"General Hospital\" with local Malay district names. You can trace the path of the \u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,2,0\" data-index-in-node=\"217\"\u003eSungai Pinang\u003c\/b\u003e river at the bottom, which served as a natural boundary for the expanding town.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp data-path-to-node=\"12,3,0\"\u003e\u003cb data-path-to-node=\"12,3,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\"\u003eJohn Bartholomew’s Precision:\u003c\/b\u003e The map was produced by the world-renowned Edinburgh firm of John Bartholomew \u0026amp; Co. Known for their clarity and accuracy, they utilized a subtle color-coding system to distinguish between land, water, and key parklands, a hallmark of modern 20th-century cartography.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Treasures of the Orient","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43656496087105,"sku":null,"price":800.0,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0572\/7125\/5105\/files\/23118607-3458-44D8-BF9D-10E3DC89D0DB.jpg?v=1778159646","url":"https:\/\/treasuresoftheorient.com\/products\/george-town-penang-1912","provider":"Treasures of the Orient","version":"1.0","type":"link"}