John Bartholomew
Encyclopedia
John Bartholomew Junior (December 25, 1831 – March 29, 1893) was a Scottish
cartographer, born in Edinburgh
.
His father John Bartholomew Senior
started a cartographical establishment in Edinburgh,Scotland and he was educated in the work. He was subsequently assistant to the German
geographer August Petermann, until in 1856 he took up the management of his father's firm. For this establishment, now known as the Edinburgh Geographical Institute, Bartholomew built up a reputation unsurpassed in Great Britain
for the production of the finest cartographical work.
Bartholomew is best known for the development of colour contouring (or hypsometric tints
), the system of representing altitudes on a graduated colour scale, with areas of high altitude in shades of brown and areas of low altitude in shades of green. He first showcased his colour contouring system at the Paris Exhibition of 1878; although it initially met with skepticism, it went on to become standard cartographical practice.
Among his numerous publications, particularly worthy of note is the series of maps of Great Britain reduced from the Ordnance Survey
to scales of ½ inch and ¾ inch to 1 mile, with relief shown by contour line
s and hypsometric tints
. The ½ inch series is among the finest of its kind ever produced.
Upon his retirement in 1888, John Bartholomew was succeeded in the firm by his son John George
, who extended the ½ inch series, and applied its principles to many other works. Bartholomew died in London
on March 29, 1893.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
cartographer, born in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
.
His father John Bartholomew Senior
John Bartholomew Senior
John Bartholomew Senior was a Scottish cartographer and engraver.The son of George Bartholomew , John founded the engraving and mapmaking firm of John Bartholomew and Son Ltd. in 1826....
started a cartographical establishment in Edinburgh,Scotland and he was educated in the work. He was subsequently assistant to the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
geographer August Petermann, until in 1856 he took up the management of his father's firm. For this establishment, now known as the Edinburgh Geographical Institute, Bartholomew built up a reputation unsurpassed in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
for the production of the finest cartographical work.
Bartholomew is best known for the development of colour contouring (or hypsometric tints
Hypsometric tints
Hypsometric tints are related to contour lines. They can be used to depict ranges of elevation as bands of color, usually in a graduated scheme, or as a color ramp applied to contour lines themselves. A typical scheme progresses from dark greens for lower elevations up through yellows/browns, and...
), the system of representing altitudes on a graduated colour scale, with areas of high altitude in shades of brown and areas of low altitude in shades of green. He first showcased his colour contouring system at the Paris Exhibition of 1878; although it initially met with skepticism, it went on to become standard cartographical practice.
Among his numerous publications, particularly worthy of note is the series of maps of Great Britain reduced from the Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey
Ordnance Survey , an executive agency and non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom, is the national mapping agency for Great Britain, producing maps of Great Britain , and one of the world's largest producers of maps.The name reflects its creation together with...
to scales of ½ inch and ¾ inch to 1 mile, with relief shown by contour line
Contour line
A contour line of a function of two variables is a curve along which the function has a constant value. In cartography, a contour line joins points of equal elevation above a given level, such as mean sea level...
s and hypsometric tints
Hypsometric tints
Hypsometric tints are related to contour lines. They can be used to depict ranges of elevation as bands of color, usually in a graduated scheme, or as a color ramp applied to contour lines themselves. A typical scheme progresses from dark greens for lower elevations up through yellows/browns, and...
. The ½ inch series is among the finest of its kind ever produced.
Upon his retirement in 1888, John Bartholomew was succeeded in the firm by his son John George
John George Bartholomew
John George Bartholomew FRSE was a British cartographer and geographer. 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...
, who extended the ½ inch series, and applied its principles to many other works. Bartholomew died in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
on March 29, 1893.
External links
- Bartholomew: A Scottish Family Heritage - site maintained by the family.
- Times World Atlases official website including a History and Heritage section detailing landmark Times atlases
- See an 1856 map by John Bartholomew Texas, part of New Mexico &c. / drawn & engraved by J. Bartholomew. hosted by the Portal to Texas History