John Thomson (1777-ca. 1840) was a commercial map publisher active in Edinburgh. He specialized in guide books and atlases and is primarily known for his Atlas of Scotland (1832) and the New General Atlas, first published in 1817 and reissued for the next quarter century. The New General Atlas was a commercial success—it was also published in Dublin and London—and it compiled existing geographic knowledge in compelling ways for a wide audience.
His Atlas of Scotland introduced new geographic information and was the first large-scale atlas of Scotland to be organized by county. It provided the most-accurate view of Scotland available before the Clearances. Work on the atlas began in 1820 and led to Thomson’s bankruptcy in 1830 due to the high costs of gathering the latest surveys and reviewing the required materials. Despite the publication of the atlas, Thomson declared bankruptcy again in 1835.
Detailed large format map of Tartary, extending from China, Japan and the Northeastern Russian Regions of Asia to Hindoostan and Beloochistan. One of the most detailed and interesting large format maps of the early 19th Century. A fine example with...
Fine old color example of Thomson's regional map of India, extending from Arungabad, Mahoor and Cicacole in the North, to the southern tip of India, including most of Celyon. Highly detailed, showing provinces, towns, roads, rivers, lakes, mountains,...
Nice example of Thomson's map of the Southern Part of India and Sri Lanka. Detailed regional map of India, extending from Arungabad, Mahoor and Cicacole in the North, to the southern tip of India, including most of Sri Lanka. The map shows provinces,...
![North Africa [with] South Africa](/map/small/48322.jpg)
Two outstanding regional maps of Africa. The north sheet extends south to the Mountains of Kong or Mountains of the Moon. The Sahara Desert appears prominently, with the routes traversing the continent through the Sudan very much in evidence. The...
