diff --git a/doc/api/api_changes.rst b/doc/api/api_changes.rst
index e795ae9c837f..5278be771bc9 100644
--- a/doc/api/api_changes.rst
+++ b/doc/api/api_changes.rst
@@ -171,6 +171,12 @@ original location:
   treated as numpy fancy indexing and only the two markers corresponding to the
   given indexes will be shown.
 
+* removed prop kwarg from `mpl_toolkits.axes_grid1.anchored_artists.AnchoredSizeBar`
+  call.  It was passed through to the base-class `__init__` and is only used for
+  setting padding.  Now `fontproperties` (which is what is really used to set
+  the font properties of `AnchoredSizeBar`) is passed through in place of `prop`.
+  If `fontpropreties` is not passed in, but `prop` is, then `prop` is used inplace
+  of `fontpropreties`.  If both are passed in, `prop` is silently ignored.
 
 Code removal
 ------------
@@ -179,6 +185,7 @@ Code removal
   a long time) and was not the standard form of the Levy distribution.
   ``scipy.stats.levy`` should be used instead
 
+
 .. _changes_in_1_3:
 
 
diff --git a/lib/mpl_toolkits/axes_grid1/anchored_artists.py b/lib/mpl_toolkits/axes_grid1/anchored_artists.py
index fc56ec00d831..1fa0effc4f74 100644
--- a/lib/mpl_toolkits/axes_grid1/anchored_artists.py
+++ b/lib/mpl_toolkits/axes_grid1/anchored_artists.py
@@ -66,10 +66,9 @@ def __init__(self, transform, width, height, angle, loc,
                                    frameon=frameon, **kwargs)
 
 
-
 class AnchoredSizeBar(AnchoredOffsetbox):
     def __init__(self, transform, size, label, loc,
-                 pad=0.1, borderpad=0.1, sep=2, prop=None,
+                 pad=0.1, borderpad=0.1, sep=2,
                  frameon=True, size_vertical=0, color='black',
                  label_top=False, fontproperties=None,
                  **kwargs):
@@ -117,24 +116,32 @@ def __init__(self, transform, size, label, loc,
         >>> fig.show()
 
         Using all the optional parameters
-        
+
         >>> import matplotlib.font_manager as fm
         >>> fontprops = fm.FontProperties(size=14, family='monospace')
-        >>> bar = AnchoredSizeBar(ax.transData, 3, '3 units', 4, pad=0.5, sep=5, borderpad=0.5, frameon=False, size_vertical=0.5, color='white', fontproperties=fontprops)
+        >>> bar = AnchoredSizeBar(ax.transData, 3, '3 units', 4, pad=0.5, sep=5, borderpad=0.5, frameon=False, size_vertical=0.5, color='white', fontproperties=fontprops)  # noqa
 
         """
 
         self.size_bar = AuxTransformBox(transform)
-        self.size_bar.add_artist(Rectangle((0,0), size, size_vertical, fill=True, facecolor=color, edgecolor=color))
+        self.size_bar.add_artist(Rectangle((0, 0), size, size_vertical,
+                                           fill=True, facecolor=color,
+                                           edgecolor=color))
 
-        if not fontproperties:
+        # if fontproperties is None, but `prop` is not, assume that
+        # prop should be used to set the font properties. This is
+        # questionable behavior
+        if fontproperties is None and 'prop' in kwargs:
+            fontproperties = kwargs.pop('prop')
+
+        if fontproperties is None:
             textprops = {'color': color}
         else:
-            textprops = {'color': color, 'fontproperties': fontproperties} 
+            textprops = {'color': color, 'fontproperties': fontproperties}
 
         self.txt_label = TextArea(
-            label, 
-            minimumdescent=False, 
+            label,
+            minimumdescent=False,
             textprops=textprops)
 
         if label_top:
@@ -148,7 +155,7 @@ def __init__(self, transform, size, label, loc,
 
         AnchoredOffsetbox.__init__(self, loc, pad=pad, borderpad=borderpad,
                                    child=self._box,
-                                   prop=prop,
+                                   prop=fontproperties,
                                    frameon=frameon, **kwargs)