Jacques Bertin
Encyclopedia
Jacques Bertin was a French
cartographer and theorist, known from his book Semiologie Graphique (Semiology of Graphics), edited in 1967. This monumental work, based on his experience as a cartographer and geographer, represents the first and widest intent to provide a theoretical foundation to Information Visualization
.
, Yvelines
. When he was 10, he received the first prize of cartography at primary school. He never had problems with drawing, and pursued interests including architecture, the teaching of drawing and cartography. Finally he ended up studying geography
and cartography
at the Sorbonne
.
He became founder and director of the Cartographic Laboratory of the École pratique des hautes études
(EPHE) in 1954 and director of education in 1957. In 1967 he became professor of the Sorbonne, and in 1974 he became director of education and director of the Geographical Laboratory of the École des hautes études en sciences sociales
(EHESS), which is part of the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE, VIe Section). Later in the 1970s he became head of research at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique
(CNRS).
In 1993 Bertin received the "Mercator-Medaille der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kartographie" and in 1999 the Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal from the International Cartographic Association.
Bertin died in Paris on May 3, 2010.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
cartographer and theorist, known from his book Semiologie Graphique (Semiology of Graphics), edited in 1967. This monumental work, based on his experience as a cartographer and geographer, represents the first and widest intent to provide a theoretical foundation to Information Visualization
Information visualization
Information visualization is the interdisciplinary study of "the visual representation of large-scale collections of non-numerical information, such as files and lines of code in software systems, library and bibliographic databases, networks of relations on the internet, and so forth".- Overview...
.
Biography
Jacques Bertin was born in 1918 in Maisons-LaffitteMaisons-Laffitte
Maisons-Laffitte is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It is located in the north-western suburbs of Paris from the center....
, Yvelines
Yvelines
Yvelines is a French department in the region of Île-de-France.-History:Yvelines was created from the western part of the defunct department of Seine-et-Oise on 1 January 1968 in accordance with a law passed on 10 January 1964 and a décret d'application from 26 February 1965.It gained the...
. When he was 10, he received the first prize of cartography at primary school. He never had problems with drawing, and pursued interests including architecture, the teaching of drawing and cartography. Finally he ended up studying geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and cartography
Cartography
Cartography is the study and practice of making maps. Combining science, aesthetics, and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality can be modeled in ways that communicate spatial information effectively.The fundamental problems of traditional cartography are to:*Set the map's...
at the Sorbonne
Sorbonne
The Sorbonne is an edifice of the Latin Quarter, in Paris, France, which has been the historical house of the former University of Paris...
.
He became founder and director of the Cartographic Laboratory of the École pratique des hautes études
École pratique des hautes études
The École pratique des hautes études is a Grand Établissement in Paris, France. It is counted among France's most prestigious research and higher education institutions....
(EPHE) in 1954 and director of education in 1957. In 1967 he became professor of the Sorbonne, and in 1974 he became director of education and director of the Geographical Laboratory of the École des hautes études en sciences sociales
École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales
The École des hautes études en sciences sociales is a leading French institution for research and higher education, a Grand Établissement. Its mission is research and research training in the social sciences, including the relationship these latter maintain with the natural and life sciences...
(EHESS), which is part of the École pratique des hautes études (EPHE, VIe Section). Later in the 1970s he became head of research at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique
Centre national de la recherche scientifique
The National Center of Scientific Research is the largest governmental research organization in France and the largest fundamental science agency in Europe....
(CNRS).
In 1993 Bertin received the "Mercator-Medaille der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Kartographie" and in 1999 the Carl Mannerfelt Gold Medal from the International Cartographic Association.
Bertin died in Paris on May 3, 2010.
Publications
Jacques Bertin has published numerous scientific maps, papers and articles on map making, semiology, graphical information and graphic processing.- 1967. Sémiologie Graphique. Les diagrammes, les réseaux, les cartes. With Marc Barbut [et al.]. Paris : Gauthier-Villars. (Translation 1983. Semiology of Graphics by William J. Berg.)
- 1969. Etude et réalisation d'un dispositift de goniométrie et d'observation de formes d'onde, en large bande.
- 1976. Experimental and Theoretical Aspects of Induced Polarization. 2 vol. With J. Loes. Berlin : Gebruder. Borntraeger.
- 1977. Graphique et le traitement graphique de l'information. With Serge Bonin [et al.].
- 1977. La graphique et le traitement graphique de l'information. Paris : Flammarion, 1977, 273 p. (translation 1981. Graphics and graphic information-processing by William J. Berg and Paul Scott).
- 1992. Harper atlas of world history. with Pierre Vidal-Naquet. N.Y. : Harper Collins.
- 1997. Atlas historique universel. Panorama de l'histoire du monde. With J. Devisse, D. Lavallée and J. Népote. Genève : Éd. Minerve, 180 p.
- 2006. Nuovo atlante storico Zanichelli / sotto la direzione di Pierre Vidal-Naquet ; direzione della cartografia.