Naming the continent of Antarctica in 1890 defined the professional trajectory of John George Bartholomew, a British cartographer who utilized the title of Cartographer to the King. Born in Edinburgh in 1860, he managed the family publishing firm, John Bartholomew and Son, which became a significant operation within the geographical sciences during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Professional Development and Cartography
Bartholomew attended the Royal High School and later enrolled at the University of Edinburgh without completing his degree. He advanced the family business by adopting coloured contour layer maps, a technique developed by his father. As travel patterns shifted, he expanded the company output to include cycling maps, street guides for urban centers, road maps for automobiles, and railway timetable charts. His collaboration with John Francon Williams facilitated international distribution of his work across the United Kingdom and America.
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His efforts to document global geography included the Atlas of Meteorology and the Atlas of Zoogeography, both intended as part of a five-volume series that remained unfinished. He oversaw the initial planning stages for the first edition of the Times Survey Atlas of the World. This project, continued through subsequent editions, achieved recognition as a successful atlas series during the twentieth century. Correspondence related to these scientific collaborations is preserved in the Bartholomew Archive at the National Library of Scotland.
Family and Final Years
Bartholomew married Janet Macdonald on 23 April 1889. The couple had five children, including Ian Bartholomew, who eventually inherited management of the business. After his career concluded, Bartholomew spent time in Portugal, where he died in Sintra on 14 April 1920 at the age of 60. His remains were interred at the São Pedro de Penaferrim Cemetery. A memorial sculpted by Pilkington Jackson stands at the Dean Cemetery in Edinburgh, where his wife, sons Hugh and Ian, and grandson John Christopher Bartholomew are also buried.
Fast facts
- Born: 22 March 1860, Edinburgh
- Died: 14 April 1920, Sintra
- Occupations: Cartographer, geographer, businessperson
- Awards: Victoria Medal, 1905
- Memberships: Royal Society of Edinburgh, Royal Geographical Society
- Notable naming: Antarctica (1890)
- Spouse: Janet Macdonald
- Burial: São Pedro de Penaferrim Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was his role as Cartographer to the King?
He served as the holder of a royal warrant, allowing him to use the official title Cartographer to the King.
What is his legacy in map publishing?
He is recognized for naming Antarctica and for the successful production of the Times Survey Atlas of the World.
Achievements
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
- Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
- Victoria Medal
- Recorded as cartographer, geographer and businessperson
