1832 Beaucousiu French Manuscript Schoolgirl Map of Aisa (from Memory)

An exceptionally well-executed 1832 French pen and ink schoolgirl map of Asia by Alexandrine Breaucousiu. Significantly, Breaucousiu drew the map from memory, which may account for the loose interpretation of geographical forms, but which at the same time exhibits a remarkable flair for geographic sketching (we tried this ourselves and could not produce a finer map). Moreover, individual countries and regions are filled with finely curving descriptive French script.

Schoolgirl Maps

Schoolgirl maps began appearing in Europe in the late 18th century, reflecting a period when standards and purposes in women's education were changing. While boys were commonly taught the practical execution of surveys and charts, the production of attractive and informative maps appears to have been primarily the domain of young women. Such maps can be found covering all parts of the world, but are often quite general, covering single countries or continents. These were usually based on generally available reference maps, such as those found in the atlases produced by Carey and Lea, Finley, and Mitchell.

The goals of these exercises were more far-reaching than teaching geography. Girls learned penmanship, each map often using three or more lettering styles. Mapmaking sharpened the retention and recall of factual information. Students were encouraged to take pains in their draftsmanship and often achieved beautiful flourishes of artistic expression. For a good overview, see Betty Mason's '19th Century Schoolgirls Were Incredibly Good at Drawing Maps.' Published July 27, 2016 by National Geographic.

Publication History and Census

As a manuscript work, this is the only known example. We can find no trace of Alexandrine Beaucousiu, though the last name is reasonably common in France.