About Our Crew
"Our Crew" is the
original Maine Map innovator artist Beth Lambert and
real bona fide map maker by academic training
and experience, Bob Muller.
About Beth...in her own words
Beth Lambert,
Artist from Mariaville, Maine
I began the first Maine Illustrated Map during
the winter of 1987. My husband and I were the
parents of two toddlers and were making ends
meet on a teacher’s salary. We knew that if I
followed through on my desire to be a
stay-at-home mom, I’d have to find a way to
supplement our income.
Faced now with the challenge
of earning an income, I had a hunch that a map
of Maine would sell well since Maine attracts
millions of tourists and is so beloved by its
own native population. I had adopted the state
of Maine as my own as a child when my family
vacationed here every summer and felt right at
home later when I married a Mainer and moved to
this beautiful state.
I read books about Maine and
encouraged old-timers to tell me about their
favorite places. I translated the lumbering
lore, the Franco American connection, the Native
American origins, and the nautical stories into
whimsical cartoons. Discovering each town’s
claim to fame was intriguing: the old Wire Bridge
in New Portland, the mail delivery boat in Belgrade
Lakes, the Shaker Colony in New Gloucester.
I found out where Benedict Arnold camped on
his way to Canada, where Thoreau paddled in
the North Country, where Sarah Orne Jewett wrote,
where the highest tidal ranges are in the U.S.
A 24 x 36 inch poster is just not big enough
for all the points of interest!
About Bob...in his own words
 Bob
Muller, Maine Map Maker
I grew up in Brunswick, Maine and went to Univ.
of Maine, Orono (UMO) majoring in the geo-spatial
sciences - map making. I grew up loving and
making maps and put myself through college by
doing surveying work -- for property maps. I
then "went away" out west and onto
Washington, DC area for a long period and worked
for many of the top ranked map makers in the
country such as the US Geological Survey, Topographic
Division. So I knew maps and love 'em.
In 2008, I was browsing in
our local book store, Bookland and noticed out
of the corner of my eye an old frayed map located
behind the long cashier counter. Although frayed
the vibrant colors just caught my eye. And when
I flashed by I could tell some thing was not
right -- at least not in the mapping world.
It is a map, but it isn't like a normal or rational
map. It had no roads, no topography and no well
defined place names, Lat/Long grids or "normal"
text.
Wow, what is this? Well, now
I know. It is not only a unique map, it is a
hand painted one at that -- rare even by old
standards let alone today. Technically it is
a "sketch" but I refer to it as a
poster map!
I stopped and asked the cashier
to open the swing door so I could look closer.
I asked to buy one. She said they had not sold
one for years. So I got Beth's name off the
map and gave her a call.
We talked on the phone and
our first meeting was on the Maine Turnpike
at a rest area. We were meeting at a picnic
table. I remember it well because I bought a
Coke inside and spilled it on my shirt before
I made it to the table. Not a good first impression.
There was Beth and I, wondering who each other
was.
We met several times and I
went for a long drive up to her farm house.
I said I want to sell this map, can you make
a new one. Well, she was thinking of making
a new one too. So, we agreed to work as a team
and sell the product and a couple of others
too.
Well, that is the rest of the
story. Except I live in Brunswick again with
my wife, daughter and faithful dog, Tia."
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