Edinburgh Geographical Institute. John George Bartholomew LLD (1860-1920) Geographer and Cartographer. Royal Fourth Generation in a line of Mapmakers from 1797. Founder of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society in 1884. This Institute, built in 1910, was designed by Dr John George Bartholomew to house his firm's expanding map printing and publishing operations. It incorporates the Palladian portico (1824) from Falcon Hall, the family residence in Morningside. Fromn 1919, as John Bartholomew & Son Ltd, two further generations of the family and a loyal staff continued to develop the traditions and high standards of the company until 1987, when the family involvement ceased. With the support of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and the generosity of private donors, this plaque commemorates the immense contribution of the Bartholomew family to world cartography for nearly 200 years. Unveiled by HRH The Princess Royal, a Vice President of the Society 11th July 1997.