George Washington Bacon

George Washington Bacon (1830–1922) was an American mapmaker and publisher who developed a successful business producing maps of London.

In 1861, Bacon founded a series of businesses. He became bankrupt in 1867, after failing to keep on top of managing these businesses.

In 1870, Bacon started his business, G.W. Bacon & Co., on 127 Strand, London. He based his atlases on the plates used by Edward Weller for his Weekly Dispatch Atlas. In 1893, he bought the map business of James Wyld.

During this time period, G.W Bacon created illustrations of British colonial wars, with their most famous publication being Bacon's South Africa War Prints in 1901, covering the Second Boer War.

Around 1900, G.W. Bacon was purchased by the Scottish publishing house of W.& A.K. Johnston and incorporated into their own. Maps using the Bacon brand were being produced as late as 1956. About 1967 their name was changed to Johnston & Bacon.

File:1890 Bacon Traveler's Pocket Map of London, England - Geographicus - London-bacon-1890.jpg

Bacon's New Map of London, c. 1890.

Selected publications

• The New Ordnance Atlas of the British Isles.

See also

• Archibald Constable
• Thomas Constable (printer and publisher)
• Archibald Fullarton
• Bacon's South Africa War Prints