Thomas Witlam Atkinson

Thomas Witlam Atkinson (1799–1861) was an English architect, artist and traveller. Between 1847 and 1853 he travelled 29,000 miles (47,000 km) in Siberia, Central Asia, and present-day Kazakhstan by carriage, horseback, and boat, much of the time together with his wife Lucy and son Alatau, who was born during their travels. He painted 560 watercolors, many of them of places unknown in England at the time. He documented his travels in two books and became a prominent lecturer and a member of the Royal Geographical Society and other scholarly organizations. His art is displayed in museums.

Atkinson was a bigamist, never divorcing his first wife before marrying Lucy, his second wife. His financial troubles possibly prompted him to leave England and undertake his travels in Central Asia.

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