The Aral Sea according to Khanikoff

Augustus Heinrich Petermann (1822 – 1898)

In 1847, Petermann moved to London and in 1850 founded his own establishment: The Geographical Establishment, Engraving, Lithographic and Printing Office.
In 1852 Ernst Georg Ravenstein (1834–1913) was apprenticed to him,
before he went in 1855 into the service of the Topographical Department
of the British War Office.

Petermann’s firm published, among other things, maps for the Journal of the Royal Geographical Society
and thorugh this he established lifelong relationships with many
scientists, politicians and explorers. In 1847, he became a member of
the RGS. When he was 28 in 1850 he was elected under-Secretary. In 1868
he was awarded with the prestigious ‘Founders medal’ of the RGS. Queen
Victoria, at the suggestion of Robert Bunsen, appointed him ‘physical
geographer-royal’. Early in his career, Petermann already wanted to
further the cause of geographical exploration as shown by his concern
for and interference with James Richardson’s expedition. The purpose of
this expedition, which was supported by the British government, was to
negotiate trade treaties with the rulers of the middle Sudan. Petermann,
supported by Carl Ritter and Robert Bunsen, pleaded with the British
government to let Heinrich Barth and Adolf Overweg join up with
Richardson’s expedition to assure that geographical and scientific
aspects which they might encounter were taken care of. When still
affiliated with the Zeitschrift für Allgemeine Erdkunde, he published
their progress in this journal, and when he started his very
influential, Petermanns geographische Mitteilungen.