Inspired by the exploration of all the countries of Europe, as well as Egypt and Palestine, the Scottish artist Alexander Keith Johnston devoted himself to cartography. With his brother William, he subsequently opened the cartographic institution W & A.K. Johnston out of a shared passion, in which maps were produced for school use, but also the general public.
Johnston had his center of life at the time of industrialization in Edinburgh, Scotland, from where he worked and devoted himself to the art of engraving. Industrialization brought with it a tremendous growth in population. Epidemics such as typhoid and cholera raged and decimated entire cities. The underdeveloped infrastructure of Scotland caused great problems: there was a lack of roads and paths. For this reason, the construction of canals and new access routes was relied upon, but these were soon made obsolete by the railroads, which were many times more economical. This development also made Johnston's work much easier, as the exploration of new areas became less difficult. He initially came to the University of Edinburgh because of his interest in medicine. However, he quickly turned away from this and turned to geography. Johnston married his wife Margaret Gray at an early age, who did not get to see him very often due to his numerous travels and his love of cartography. His first map was the result of a long walk through Northern Ireland and already appeared in the first travel guides. One of his most important works was the "National Atlas" published in 1843, which appeared in several editions and meant 5 years of hard work for him. 45 percent of the maps of this atlas Johnston had drawn completely by himself and almost all names were inserted handwritten by him. The "National Atlas" was a breakthrough of its time, as it was more compact and handy than any of its predecessors. Ultimately, the "National Atlas" earned him the appointment of Royal Geographer of Scotland.
Johnston's drawings are very special: he made it a point to use every free spot in his drawing to show the reader or viewer exactly what the animal or patch of earth he depicted looks like. Also emblematic are his numerous vignettes and embellishments in the margins of each map or illustration. Johnston made a name for himself in science by applying physical science to geography. He drew on Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Ritter to produce the "Physical Atlas of natural phenomenia." His eldest and eponymous son enjoyed his father's teaching and also published several maps and treatises on physical geography, but then turned his full focus to Africa and produced numerous works.
Inspired by the exploration of all the countries of Europe, as well as Egypt and Palestine, the Scottish artist Alexander Keith Johnston devoted himself to cartography. With his brother William, he subsequently opened the cartographic institution W & A.K. Johnston out of a shared passion, in which maps were produced for school use, but also the general public.
Johnston had his center of life at the time of industrialization in Edinburgh, Scotland, from where he worked and devoted himself to the art of engraving. Industrialization brought with it a tremendous growth in population. Epidemics such as typhoid and cholera raged and decimated entire cities. The underdeveloped infrastructure of Scotland caused great problems: there was a lack of roads and paths. For this reason, the construction of canals and new access routes was relied upon, but these were soon made obsolete by the railroads, which were many times more economical. This development also made Johnston's work much easier, as the exploration of new areas became less difficult. He initially came to the University of Edinburgh because of his interest in medicine. However, he quickly turned away from this and turned to geography. Johnston married his wife Margaret Gray at an early age, who did not get to see him very often due to his numerous travels and his love of cartography. His first map was the result of a long walk through Northern Ireland and already appeared in the first travel guides. One of his most important works was the "National Atlas" published in 1843, which appeared in several editions and meant 5 years of hard work for him. 45 percent of the maps of this atlas Johnston had drawn completely by himself and almost all names were inserted handwritten by him. The "National Atlas" was a breakthrough of its time, as it was more compact and handy than any of its predecessors. Ultimately, the "National Atlas" earned him the appointment of Royal Geographer of Scotland.
Johnston's drawings are very special: he made it a point to use every free spot in his drawing to show the reader or viewer exactly what the animal or patch of earth he depicted looks like. Also emblematic are his numerous vignettes and embellishments in the margins of each map or illustration. Johnston made a name for himself in science by applying physical science to geography. He drew on Alexander von Humboldt and Carl Ritter to produce the "Physical Atlas of natural phenomenia." His eldest and eponymous son enjoyed his father's teaching and also published several maps and treatises on physical geography, but then turned his full focus to Africa and produced numerous works.
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