Book Synopsis
Long before Andreas Kilian stepped off of the ship Adventure onto North Carolina soil in
1732, the Kilians represented a widely respected dynasty of engravers and artists in
Augsburg, Germany. The Augsburg shop remained open for 200 years and serviced
figures of importance in Germany and abroad. In addition to engraved portraits, most of
the Kilians branched off into illustrations and paintings. Some of these works can be
found and purchased at auction today, but many are housed in the British Museum, The
MET, and the Augsburg Library. While information on the personal lives of the Kilian
family has proven to be scarce, I hope to provide examples of the art itself so that the
descendants of Bartholomaus (the modern ‘Killian’ family) can appreciate and pass down
our story to the future generations. It is my sincere hope that the reader will find the
information in this writing as fascinating as I have during my research on the origins of
our family.
~ Austin R. Caldwell