The memorial to J G Bartholomew, Dean Cemetery

John George Bartholomew (22 March 1860 – 14 April 1920) was a Scottish

cartographer Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...

and geographer. As a holder of a

royal warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law. Royal warrant may refer to: * Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...

, he used the title "Cartographer to the King"; for this reason he was sometimes known by the epithet "the Prince of Cartography". Bartholomew's longest lasting legacy is arguably naming the continent of Antarctica, which until his use of the term in 1890 had been largely ignored due to its lack of resources and harsh climate.

Biography

Bartholomew came from a celebrated line of map-makers. He was the son of Annie McGregor (d. 1872) and

John Bartholomew John Bartholomew (25 December 1831 – 29 March 1893) was a Scottish cartographer. Life Bartholomew was born in Edinburgh, Scotland. His father, John Bartholomew Sr., started a cartographical establishment in Edinburgh, and he was educated ...

Junior, and the grandson of the founder of

John Bartholomew and Son Ltd. Collins Bartholomew, formerly John Bartholomew and Son, is a long-established map publishing company originally based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It is now a subsidiary of HarperCollins. History George Bartholomew (8 January 1784–23 October 187 ...

He was educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh and the University of Edinburgh. Under his administration the family business became one of the top operations in its field. Bartholomew himself was not merely a specialist in production, but also a talented geographer and

. It was he who introduced the use of coloured contour layer maps; he also anticipated the needs of late nineteenth and early 20th century travellers by publishing street maps of major cities, cycling maps, railway timetable maps, and road maps for automobiles. He collaborated with major scientific figures and travelers of the period on projects involving their studies. Bartholomew's ''Atlas of Meteorology'' and ''Atlas of Zoogeography'' were issues from a planned five-volume series that was never completed. Before he died he was able to plan out the first edition of the ''Times Survey Atlas of the World''; this and its succeeding editions represent the most successful atlas project of the twentieth century. John was a great friend of geographer and writer John Francon Williams. Correspondence between the two friends is held in the Bartholomew Archive at the

National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS) ( gd, Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba, sco, Naitional Leebrar o Scotland) is the legal deposit library of Scotland and is one of the country's National Collections. As one of the largest libraries in the ...

. Williams also acted as a literary agent for Bartholomew in America, the UK and other territories in the world. In 1889, he married Janet MacDonald. He handed the reins of the business on to his son

John (Ian) Bartholomew John Bartholomew, generally known as Ian Bartholomew (12 February 1890 – 9 February 1962) was a Scottish cartographer and geographer. Life John was the son of John George Bartholomew and Janet MacDonald. He was educated at Merchiston Castl ...

(1890-1962). A memorial to Bartholomew, sculpted by Pilkington Jackson, exists on the northern wall of the 20th century extension to

Dean Cemetery The Dean Cemetery is a historically important Victorian cemetery north of the Dean Village, west of Edinburgh city centre, in Scotland. It lies between Queensferry Road and the Water of Leith, bounded on its east side by Dean Path and on ...

in Edinburgh. His wife Jennie, sons Hugh and Ian Bartholomew, and grandson

John Christopher Bartholomew John Christopher Bartholomew (or J.C. Bartholomew) (15 January 1923 – 16 January 2008) was a Scotland, Scottish cartography, cartographer and geographer. Life Bartholomew was the son of Marie Antoinette Sarolea, daughter of Charles Saroléa ...

are buried at the monument. His daughter Margaret married Philip Francis Hamilton-Grierson, grandson of Sir Philip James Hamilton-Grierson. On the centenary of Bartholomew’s death (14 April 2020), Scotland paid tribute to him, naming him the publisher who helped put ‘Edinburgh on the map’.

Chronology

*1860: born in Edinburgh on 22 March *1880: begins work for his father in the family's map-making business *1884: co-founder of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society *1884-1920: honorary secretary, Royal Scottish Geographical Society *1887: elected to the

Royal Society of Edinburgh The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...

*1888: succeeds his father in the family business *1888: elected to the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

*1892: secretary, Section E,

British Association for the Advancement of Science The British Science Association (BSA) is a charity and learned society founded in 1831 to aid in the promotion and development of science. Until 2009 it was known as the British Association for the Advancement of Science (BA). The current Chie ...

*1895: publishes his ''Survey Atlas of Scotland'' *1899: publishes his ''Atlas of Meteorology'' *1903: publishes his ''Survey Atlas of England and Wales'' *1905: receives the Victoria Research Gold Medal from the Royal Geographical Society *1909-1912: council member, Royal Society of Edinburgh *1910: appointed Cartographer Royal by King George V *1911: publishes his ''Atlas of Zoogeography'' *1918: receives the Helen Carver medal from the Geographical Society of Chicago *1920: dies at Sintra, Portugal, on 14 April *1922: first edition of the ''Times Survey Atlas of the World'' posthumously published

Biography

Chronology

References

External links