2003 has been, it seems, the year of exploration and travel anniversaries: celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Everest, the 100th of the first powered flight, the 80th of Footprint’s South American Handbook, the 30th for Lonely Planet and the 10th for Wanderlust. Of course, we are biased to the notion that the most important anniversary this year is our own 150th.
Edward Stanford made his reputation rapidly upon setting up his independent business in 1853. One of his first series of maps, covering the Crimea in 1854-55, made Florence Nightingale a customer. Stanley and Livingstone were fans too, with the former writing to Stanford, “Had it not been my fate to be an African explorer, I should have wished to be a geographer of your attainments.” Amongst the other explorers and travellers Stanfords has had the honour of serving are Captain Robert Falcon Scott, the late Sir Wilfred Thesiger, Sir Chris Bonington and Michael Palin to name but a small handful.