author
John Pinkerton
1758–1826
A restless Scottish antiquary and mapmaker, he wrote widely on history, geography, coins, and old poetry. His books helped shape how later readers pictured the ancient world, even as parts of his legacy remain sharply controversial.
1 Audiobook
Early Australian Voyages: Pelsart, Tasman, Dampier
by John Pinkerton
About the author
Born in Edinburgh on February 17, 1758, John Pinkerton became known as a prolific Scottish antiquarian, cartographer, numismatist, historian, and author. He was first trained for the law, but turned instead to literary and historical work, publishing poetry and collections of older Scottish verse early in his career.
Pinkerton wrote on an unusually wide range of subjects. He produced studies of medals and coins, works on Scottish history, and large geographical projects, including atlases and surveys that gave him a lasting place in the history of cartography. His output was energetic and ambitious, and he spent much of his later life in Paris, where he continued his research and writing.
His reputation is mixed. Some of his literary work was criticized in his own time, and modern accounts also note the deeply troubling racial theories he promoted. Even so, he remains a striking figure in late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century scholarship: a learned, combative writer whose books ranged across poetry, history, and maps.