Switzerland is the original title of this 1922 cartographic portrait, issued by the Edinburgh Geographical Institute and John Bartholomew & Co. for the second issue of the 1920 edition of The Times atlas. It captures the Confederation at a moment when twentieth-century cartography was rapidly refining its language of precision and beauty. Hypsometric tints sweep across the country in graduated browns and greens, while spot heights prickle the high summits of the Alps, rendering the terrain with scientific rigor and painterly restraint. Clear frontier lines, exact toponyms, and carefully plotted railways and roads knit the Alps to the plateau and the Jura, guiding the eye from the Rhône’s run to Lake Geneva through to the Rhine’s great arc by Basel.

John George Bartholomew stands behind this synthesis of clarity and nuance, a leading Scottish cartographer whose imprint reshaped modern atlas-making. His color system—subtle in tone yet unambiguous in meaning—elevates relief from mere backdrop to the protagonist of the Swiss story, while his typographic discipline assigns cities, lakes, and ranges a legible hierarchy. The decision by The Times to adopt Bartholomew’s mapping for its 1920 edition marked a watershed: the atlas embraced a standard where scientific accuracy and elegant design were inseparable. In this sheet, the Institute’s workshop practice—meticulous compilation, consistent symbols, harmonized scales—achieves a poised, almost musical legibility.

The physical drama of Switzerland is rendered with uncommon fidelity. The high arcs of Valais and Graubünden parade their massifs—Mont Blanc’s near presence, the Matterhorn and Monte Rosa, the Jungfrau group—each articulated by bands of elevation and crisp spot heights. Lakes step across the landscape like polished mirrors: the crescent of Lake Geneva, the fjorded arms of Lake Lucerne, the length of Lake Zurich, the sister basins of Neuchâtel and Biel/Bienne. Rivers are disciplined threads: the Rhône coursing southwest, the Aare coiling past Bern, the Rhine gathering Alpine tributaries toward its bend at Basel. Passes—Gotthard, Simplon, Bernina—appear as natural hinges where valleys unlock the vaults of stone.

Political geography stands in firm, graceful counterpoint to the landforms. Cantonal borders are drawn with precision, their capitals and principal towns named and spaced to avoid clutter while preserving density of information. Zurich, Geneva, Basel, Bern, Lausanne, Lucerne, St. Gallen, Lugano, Biel/Bienne, and Neuchâtel anchor the network of habitation. Roads and railways trace the country’s famed connectivity, from the Gotthard and Simplon corridors linking to Italy through their tunnels to the web that binds the Plateau’s industrial towns. International frontiers with France, Germany, Italy, Austria, and Liechtenstein are unambiguous, yet permeable to commerce and travel, reflecting Switzerland’s neutral poise and engineering prowess. A lucid legend explains the elevation palette and symbols with unmistakable economy.

Historically, this map embodies a turning point in early twentieth-century cartography: the union of empirical exactitude with visual harmony. Bartholomew’s approach rejects both cluttered encyclopedism and bare abstraction, allowing the Alps to announce themselves while granting infrastructure and polity their precise roles. Produced just after the First World War, it presents a Switzerland essentially intact in borders yet transformed by modern transit, tunneling, and tourism—an intricate landscape made legible to a global readership. The shaded Jura, the glaciated ridges, the lake-lit forelands, and the coursing routes converge into a single intelligible image, a testament to an atlas tradition that taught generations not merely where places are, but how they belong together.

Cities and towns on this map

• Zurich
• Geneva
• Basel
• Bern
• Lausanne
• Lucerne
• St. Gallen
• Lugano
• Biel/Bienne
• Neuchâtel

Notable Features & Landmarks

• Physical features: Mountains (including the Alps), valleys, lakes, and rivers prominently labeled and shaded.
• Political boundaries: Clearly marked borders delineating regions or provinces within Switzerland.
• Elevation indicators: Hypsometric tints and spot heights providing information on terrain elevation.
• Major routes: Roads and railways indicated, showcasing connectivity across the country.
• Legend: A detailed legend explaining the color codes used for elevation.

Historical and design context

• Date of creation: 1922
• Mapmaker/Publisher: J.G. John George Bartholomew, published by the Edinburgh Geographical Institute and John Bartholomew & Co.
• Notable context about the mapmaker: This map is part of the second issue of the 1920 edition of "The Times" atlas, which marked the first use of Bartholomew's maps in this series, indicating his significant contribution to cartography.
• Design/style elements: The map features a color palette that includes various shades of brown and green to denote different elevations and topography, with clear outlines for borders and detailed labeling of major routes.
• Historical significance: This map reflects the evolution of cartography in the early 20th century, symbolizing the transition toward more accurate and visually appealing map-making practices.

Please double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.

This map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details.

This map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please get in touch.

Please note: the labels on this map are hard to read if you order a map that is 16in (40cm) or smaller. The map is still very attractive, but if you would like to read the map easily, please buy a larger size.

The model in the listing images is holding the 18x24in (45x60cm) version of this map.

The fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.

If you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the best old maps to see if something else catches your eye.

Please contact me to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.

This would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.

This map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.

This map is also available as a float framed canvas, sometimes known as a shadow gap framed canvas or canvas floater. The map is printed on artist's cotton canvas and then stretched over a handmade box frame. We then "float" the canvas inside a wooden frame, which is available in a range of colours (black, dark brown, oak, antique gold and white). This is a wonderful way to present a map without glazing in front. See some examples of float framed canvas maps and explore the differences between my different finishes.

For something truly unique, this map is also available in "Unique 3D", our trademarked process that dramatically transforms the map so that it has a wonderful sense of depth. We combine the original map with detailed topography and elevation data, so that mountains and the terrain really "pop". For more info and examples of 3D maps, check my Unique 3D page.