1868 Edward Mendel Map Publishing Advertisement

Edward Mendel (1828 - April 3, 1884) was a German-American lithographer, engraver, and publisher. He was born in Berlin, Germany, where he trained as a map engraver. He immigrated to the United States at the age of 22, first arriving in Cincinnati. Mendel did not remain in Cincinnati for long, and soon set up shop in Chicago, where he was first employed as a surveyor. He opened his lithographing firm in 1853 at 170 Lake Street, becoming the city's first lithographer. He then operated from 162 Lake Street from 1857 until 1868. In 1869, three years before the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, he moved the business into the First National Bank Building at the southwest corner of State and Washington. He lost everything in the Great Fire, but with help, reopened at State and Twenty-Second Streets. Mendel married Sara Joy in 1863, with whom he had three children. Mendel died of Bright's Disease, now known as nephritis. The firm was sold to E. G. Christoph after his death, who operated it until 1896. More by this mapmaker...