John George Bartholomew
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John George Bartholomew (22 March 1860 – 14 April 1920) was a British
cartographer Cartography (; from , '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 imagined reality) can ...
and
geographer A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...
. As a holder of a royal warrant, 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 Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...
, 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 Junior, and the grandson of the founder of John Bartholomew and Son Ltd. He was educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh and the
University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh (, ; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Founded by the City of Edinburgh Council, town council under th ...
. 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 A geographer is a physical scientist, social scientist or humanist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society, including how society and nature interacts. The Greek prefix "geo" means "earth" a ...
and
cartographer Cartography (; from , '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 imagined reality) can ...
. It was he who introduced the use of coloured contour layer maps developed by his father; 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 John Francon Williams (1854 – 4 September 1911) was a British writer, geographer, historian, journalist, cartographer, and inventor, born in Llanllechid, Caernarvonshire. His seminal work was ''The Geography of the Oceans''. Family John Fra ...
. Correspondence between the two friends is held in the Bartholomew Archive at the
National Library of Scotland The National Library of Scotland (NLS; ; ) is one of Scotland's National Collections. It is one of the largest libraries in the United Kingdom. As well as a public programme of exhibitions, events, workshops, and tours, the National Library of ...
. 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 to his son John (Ian) Bartholomew (1890–1962). He died in 1920 in
Sintra Sintra (, ), officially the Town of Sintra (), is a town and municipality in the Greater Lisbon region of Portugal, located on the Portuguese Riviera. The population of the municipality in 2021 was 385,654, in an area of . Sintra is one of the ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
, and is buried in the Cemitério de São Pedro de Penaferrim. 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 o ...
in
Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...
. His wife Jennie, sons Hugh and Ian Bartholomew, and grandson John Christopher Bartholomew 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), he was commemorated publicly and named as a publisher who helped to put 'Edinburgh on the map'.


References


External links

*
Bartholomew: A Scottish Family Heritage
– site maintained by the family.
Times World Atlases official website
including
History and Heritage section
detailing landmark Times atlases
J.G. Bartholomew
at
Open Library Open Library is an online project intended to create "one web page for every book ever published". Created by Aaron Swartz, Brewster Kahle, Alexis Rossi, Anand Chitipothu, and Rebecca Hargrave Malamud, Open Library is a project of the Internet ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bartholomew, John George Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Victoria Medal recipients Scottish businesspeople Scottish cartographers Scottish geographers Scientists from Edinburgh 1860 births 1920 deaths People educated at the Royal High School, Edinburgh Alumni of the University of Edinburgh 19th-century Scottish people