This map, created by John Bartholomew Jr. in the 1850s, shows the extent of the British Empire throughout the world.

John Bartholomew and Son, the publishing house founded by John Bartholomew Sr., father of John Bartholomew Jr., was responsible for establishing the iconic pinkish red colour to represent the British Empire. This map is one of the first to use it, a practice that was repeated in subsequent decades on maps by many other authors, such as Walter Crane's 1886 version o Arthur Mee's 1910 edition.

This particular map shows all the possessions of the British Empire in the mid-19th century, when the division of Africa among the European colonies had not yet begun. Like other similar maps, this one has a certain propagandistic character, as it seeks to portray life in all corners of the empire as equitable. This can be seen in the representations of life on the five continents, with natives and settlers from Australia (top left), America (top right), Asia (bottom left) and Africa (bottom right).

Sources

• El Imperio Británico en todo el mundo expuesto en una sola vista
• Map of the British Empire around the world