Introduction
Times atlases have been published for over a hundred years and are regarded as the world’s most prestigious and authoritative.
The first ever Times atlas was published in 1895 and simply called The Times Atlas, with maps produced by the German firm Velhagen & Klasing. In 1826, John Bartholomew set up business as a map engraver in Edinburgh and soon gained an international reputation for innovative cartography, high quality copper plate engraving and printing. The Times Publishing Co Ltd thus contracted Bartholomew to prepare a major, new, home produced, world atlas which became The Times Survey Atlas & Gazetteer of the World (1922). This was the beginning of the long running association between Bartholomew and the Times. A series of universally acclaimed atlases followed, including The Times Handy Atlas (1935), The Times Atlas of the World, Mid-Century Edition (1955-59), The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World (1967), The Times Atlas of the Moon (1969) and The Times Concise Atlas of the World (1972).
Bartholomew continued to prosper by introducing new production techniques and pushing cartographic design to new levels of excellence. The company was bought by Reader’s Digest in 1980, ending the direct involvement of the Bartholomew family. In 1985 it was bought by News International, then in 1989 it became part of HarperCollins Publishers along with Collins Publishers (UK) and Harper & Row (US). Publication of Times atlases and maps continued with the landmark The Times World Political Map and World Physical Map (1989).
The nineties saw a huge change within the cartographic profession with the start of digital technology to produce atlases. The Times Concise Atlas of the World, 7th Edition (1995) was the first fully digital publication produced by Collins Bartholomew. The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World, 10th Millennium Edition (1999) saw even more work in making the mapping digital for the flagship product which is now into its twelfth edition.
Today, the award winning Collins Bartholomew employs more than 50 cartographers dedicated to upholding the quality, authority and prestige of Times Atlases and Maps.
1895
The first atlas to be commissioned by the Times was The Times Atlas which was published in 1895, during the reign of Queen Victoria. It was a new, revised edition of Cassell's Universal Atlas (published 1891-1893). Initially issued in 15 weekly parts at 1 shilling each, the price of the cloth bound 1899 edition was 22s 6d.
It was a period when the continental hinterlands were still being explored:
- In central Asia the “Great Game” was being enacted between Russia and Britain for control of the region.
- Indian surveyors or “pundit explorers” were sent into Tibet in disguise to map the country and were followed by travellers such as Francis Younghusband and Sven Hedin, who were able to fill additional gaps in the map.
- In the interior of Africa, Australia and South America, names and features from travellers' routes appeared on the atlas plates but adjacent lands lay blank.
- On the North Polar Regions’ plate the central area was declared an “Unexplored Region”, further knowledge of Antarctica was needed before a separate map could be included.
1922
Bartholomew were invited to prepare a major new, home produced, world atlas for the Times, which became the Times Survey Atlas & Gazetteer of the World. The title page describes it as "a comprehensive series of new and authentic maps reduced from the national surveys of the world and the special surveys of travellers and explorers with general index of over two hundred thousand names...". It was edited by John George Bartholomew, cartographer to the King. Originally issued in 37 fortnightly parts at 2s 6d each, 60,000 copies were printed.
Several other companies published their own atlases, but nothing rivalled The Times Survey Atlas in its sheer volume and detail. It was 15 years in the making and no expense was spared to make it the one atlas which scholars, libraries and institutions could not afford to be without. The advertisement for this innovative new atlas reads “112 entirely new plates engraved at immense cost for this work.”
The production process was both time consuming and highly skilled. Staff went through a seven-year apprenticeship before they were considered to be competent cartographers. The source material, obtained through an international network of Bartholomew agents and correspondents was analysed to extract the most reliable and current set of the features required for the maps. The editorial staff compiled this information and plotted on paper in the correct projection and scale for each atlas plate. A mirror image of each plate was engraved onto copper sheet, then transferred to a lithostone which formed the actual printing plate. Eight different printing plates were then used to produce the full colour atlas.
The First World War brought radical social and political changes.
- The Times Survey Atlas depicted the new political structure of Europe with the Austro-Hungarian and Ottoman Empires swept away, leaving Turkey, which had to wait a further year for independence.
- The Japanese Empire now embraced Korea.
- The maps were sprinkled with rather more colours, denoting foreign colonial control of many African and Asian countries.
- The British pink was still the most dominant colour.
“Dr. Bartholomew’s atlas is the crowning triumph of a life devoted to the improvement of cartography and the spread of an intelligent interest in geography.” Scottish Geographical Magazine, 1920 – review of first parts of this new edition.
1935
- The Handy Atlas was cloth covered, had a decorative backstrip with raised bands and gilt type.
- Some versions had thumb tabs for each continent.
- It had 144 pages of colour maps with a 90 page index.
- Chief editor was John (Christopher) Bartholomew.
The political situation of the world four years before the outbreak of the Second World War can be seen from this map. The power of empires had waned significantly after the First World War, and a number of treaties and pacts were signed between countries to safeguard against military attacks. Growing political and social conflict was leading to nationalist uprisings, while both communism and fascism were on the rise in Europe.
Recent changes shown in the atlas include:
- Indian partial autonomy granted by Britain.
- Persia renamed Iran.
- Ijsselmeer created in the Netherlands by damming the Zuiderzee.
- Britain formalised the independence of Australia.
1958
The Times Atlas of the World, Mid–Century Edition was a completely new atlas. It was published in 5 volumes, between 1955-59 because of the long production times involved in the painstaking work of compiling the detailed maps. The volumes were arranged in continental groupings with volume III, North Europe, coming out first, followed by another volume each year. "Sumptuously printed on one side of each page with no gutter and mounted on calico binding hinges" according to promotional material. It had 122 coloured, double page map plates and a comprehensive index of over 200,000 names. 25,000 copies were printed at the published price of £5-5s-0d per volume.
By the time of the Mid–Century Atlas, technology had progressed as copper plates had largely been superseded. Positive and negative images were transferred onto emulsion-covered glass plates which could be revised as required for new editions. Printing plates were then produced from the glass plates.
The circumstances were not the most favourable for acquiring or checking information. The Cold War was in force and the Iron Curtain was firmly drawn across half the continent, but John Bartholomew was still able to gather significant maps of the Soviet countries (despite the inclusion of intentional errors designed to confuse unfriendly powers) and obtain corroboration from local correspondents.
The atlas showed many changes following the Second World War:
- Germany lost control of its eastern territory as well as Austria, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia.
- The USSR moved to regain most of the former Tsarist Empire in Eastern Europe.
- The atlas also depicted the start of the move to independence of many countries in Africa and Asia such as Libya, Ethiopia, Morocco and Egypt, and those of the Indian sub-continent.
- New plates covering previously little known areas such as New Guinea and Antarctica were included for the first time, as a result of recent exploration.
“There can be no higher praise for an atlas than to say it combines comprehensiveness with clarity. These are indeed the most striking qualities of The Times Atlas of the World … It is a beautiful production, outstanding as a source of up-to-date geographical information.” The Observer, 1955.
1967
The first edition of the Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World was published in 1967 as a single volume. The 123 pages of map plates and 271 index pages were similar to the Mid-Century edition but were printed on both sides of the page to reduce the bulk. Published price was £10-10s-0d. The style and content of contoured layer coloured maps, a distinctive style for Bartholomew, was continued and has subsequently been continuously revised up until the present 12th edition.
Reproduction technology had moved on again and this edition now used photographic film in place of glass plates. Photography and working with film improved and simplified the revision process, but it was still an exacting task. Revisions involved scratching or painting out deletions and drawing in additions (or using 'strippers' for text and symbols). The atlases generally used eight-colour printing for the maps which allowed for sets of features, such as all dark blue text, to be on a single film. Now in many cases only one film would need to be changed, unlike the more normal four colour printing.
The atlas highlighted some population issues of the day:
- Many capital cities were growing at a rate of 5-10% a year.
- In the Third World a major movement of people from rural areas to towns was taking place (urbanisation).
- In the 20 years between 1950 and 1970 the populations of some of the major cities had more than doubled: e.g. Cairo from 2.5 million to 5.6 million and Mexico City 4 to 14 million.
This edition included for the first time maps on thematic subjects such as world resources and the exploration of space, satellites and "extra-terrestrial affairs” – very hot topics at the time with the space race in full swing.
After only one year, the popularity of the atlas and the pace of change in the world had led to the production of a new edition, emphasising the importance of keeping completely up-to-date.
“The Times Atlas has become a basic reference work not only at the national but also at the international level.” Geographical Journal, 1981.
1969
The Times Atlas of the Moon was published to tie in with the first moon landing, in July 1969.
The atlas included:
- 37 pages of introductory material on topics such as Mapping the Moon, The Lunar Landscape Index of named features and the Far Side.
- 110 colour map pages, derived from the United States Air Force 1:1,000,000 scale Lunar Astronautical Charts.
- The front (north) and rear (south) end-pieces together show the entire nearside as a very clear 54cm diameter disk.
- It was edited by H. A. G. Lewis. - mapping expert and one of the world's leading military geographers. He became an adviser to the UN and NATO, as well as to Times Atlases. Because of his expert knowledge he appeared live on television during the first moon landing.
"This is an exciting venture as it is the first cartographic atlas ever produced of our nearest planet and will be the first definitive atlas of the Moon." Bartholomew Catalogue, 1970.
1972
The new Concise edition was "designed for those who wish to understand something of the physical nature of the Earth and man’s life on it, as well as to find their way over its surface.” Atlas Introduction.
An abridged and reduced form of the Comprehensive edition, particularly suited for use by the family and by students of all kinds. It wasn’t just a scaled down version of the larger long-established atlas, but a completely new work based on it, with additional pages of new maps and a new thematic preliminary section. A medium format atlas (15’’ x 11’’) with 40 page introductory section on man, the world and the universe, 144 pages of reference maps and 90,000 name index. It was clothbound and included a laminated slipcase, priced £7.75.
Some of the changes shown on this map included:
- Ceylon renamed Sri Lanka.
- Creation of Bangladesh as a nation, separate from Pakistan.
- Independence of Bahrain, Qatar and United Arab Emirates from Britain.
- Southern Rhodesia renamed Rhodesia.
1989
This folded map, first published in 1989 showed the world in political format.
The whole world was displayed at a scale of 1:30,000,000 using the Bartholomew ‘The Times’ projection. Detail included: international frontiers, administrative divisions, capitals, main cities/towns, railways, roads, airports and main ports.
The world physical map is no longer in production but the world political map is as popular as ever and now produced as both folded and flat map and is now into its ninth edition.
1995
This was a completely new version of the popular Concise Atlas. It contained geographical and astronomical data, 178 pages of entirely new world reference mapping, 46 city plans, country gazetteer and an index of over 95,000 place names.
The atlas marked a new era in cartographic production, representing the first Times atlas to be produced entirely from digital map databases. Bartholomew were one of the first cartographic companies to embrace computerised cartography, having started digitising maps in 1984. The advantages of using digital production technology included, shorter lead times for new products, greater flexibility in choice of styles, page layouts, scales and projections, reduced revision costs and the opportunity to sell digital data from the GIS database.
The content of this seventh edition reflects the world at the end of the 20th century. Some of the changes shown included:
- Independence of Eritrea from Ethiopia.
- Independence of Palau from the USA.
- Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
- Newly opened Channel Tunnel.
- European Union (EU) established by the Maastricht Treaty.
1999
This edition of the Comprehensive Atlas represented the first completely re-designed version since the popular first edition of 1967. To reflect the significant point in history it was called the Millennium Edition. Making full use of the power of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software for atlas production it used the technology of the new ‘digital age’. Updates and revisions could be made faster than ever before, to keep up with an ever-changing world and map production was faster and more flexible than previous traditional methods.
In the 100 years since the first edition was published, the art and science of cartography had been revolutionised – mapping created on hand-etched copper plates had now been replaced by mapping generated from world and regional digital databases. The atlas was designed to provide, with the utmost clarity, the most detailed and accurate depiction of the topographical, social and political features of the world currently available in a single volume atlas.
Some of the changes shown in this atlas included:
- Hong Kong and Macau were absorbed into China as Special Administrative Regions.
- Congo (Zaire) was renamed Democratic Republic of Congo and Western Samoa to Samoa.
- In India, Bombay was officially renamed Mumbai, and Madras renamed Chennai.
- The Great Belt Link, a 1.6 km road and rail crossing between Danish islands was completed.
- In the USA Death Valley National Park and Joshua Tree National Park were created.
2007
The Comprehensive Atlas, now in its 12th edition, has sold over one million copies worldwide, including many foreign language versions. Painstakingly researched by a dedicated team of more than 50 cartographers, the atlas is fully up to date, stylish, and contemporary, continuing to be the leading authority with its selection of detailed maps and index of more than 200,000 places and features.
This new edition included an estimated 20,000 mapping updates including 3,500 changes to names, a brand new map of Alaska and NW Canada, abandoned settlements featured for the first time, new satellite images of the continents, revision of all national and socio-economic statistics and new coverage on Biodiversity and the Environment.
The maps and data in the atlas reveal interesting information on climate change and its effects on the earth, the urbanization of world population, environmental changes and the dramatic growth of China:
- The Aral Sea in Central Asia has shrunk by 75% since 1967.
- China is now the most heavily populated country in the world – with over 1.3 billion people, one fifth of the world’s population.
- By 2030, 3 in 5 people (59.9%) will be urbanites, and the global urban population is expected to grow to 4.9 billion (from 1.33 billion in 1970).
- 13% of the world’s land surface (19 million km2) is now within over 107,000 designated Protected Areas worldwide.
- In Africa, an average of 87 out of every 1,000 babies die before their first birthday – compared to only 6 in North America.
Some of the changes shown in this atlas included:
- The division of Serbia and Montenegro into separate countries.
- The new national capital of Myanmar called Nay Pyi Taw, a joint capital with Yangon (Rangoon).
- Secession of St-Barthelemy and St-Martin from Guadeloupe.
- New World Heritage Sites.
- Opening of the 1118 km Golmud to Lhasa railway in China, the highest railway in the world.
- Opening of the 32.5 km cross sea Dohghai bridge, in China, linking Shanghai to the deepwater port on Xiaoyang Shan island.
“Here’s the book that Google Earth wants to be when it grows up. The Times Comprehensive Atlas is just that: the definitive global bible for intrepid travellers and armchair explorers alike, as used by governments, the UN and the European Commission.” The Independent newspaper
2008
The Luxury Edition is based on The Times Comprehensive Atlas of the World, 12th edition which has been painstakingly created by a dedicated team of over 50 cartographers. This globally prestigious record of our extraordinary world, exquisitely packaged as a handcrafted leather edition, is now available for the first time in its hundred-year history.
The atlas is produced to the highest possible finish by the renowned art book bindery Book Works.
The following elements are customizable:
- The cover. Hand-bound, this is available in either French calf skin (dark blue, green, black or maroon) or Nigerian goat skin (black, maroon, green, brown).
- The ribbon markers. Choose a colour to complement your choice of leather cover.
- Head and tail bands. These provide a quality finish to the atlas; you can opt to replace the leather with hand-embroidered silk bands.
- The endpapers. Choose between English marbled (Ann Muir) or traditional paper Suminagashi.
- The slipcase. The slipcase box protects your premium atlas. Choose either Douppion silk with open edges covered by leather, or black Japanese Serena book cloth with which to cover the slipcase.
To make the atlas personal the following options are available
- Your name and geographic location co-ordinates, family crest or coat of arms printed on the front and/or back cover in gold foil.
- Your initials printed in gold foil on the atlas spine.
- The personal signature of the Editor-in-Chief of Times World Atlases.
- Gilt edging on the pages of your luxury Times Atlas.
- A dedicated inside page with the date, your name, and the location co-ordinates of your choice.
- Your name or initials printed in gold on the slipcase.
“The Times Atlas is a total adventure. You can wallow, or you can target. It remains one of those prized possessions which even the age of the internet can never upstage. For me, it is a book for all seasons, all ages and all reasons.” Jon Snow.
