1878 Vivien Chart of the Sun, Moon, and Earth, Seasons, Phases of the Moon

A gorgeous representation of the Earth, Moon, and Sun explaining the phases of the moon, the seasons, and more. This sheet appeared in Louis Vivien de Saint-Martin's 1878 Atlas Universel de Géographie…

A Closer Look

The top portion of the sheet demonstrates the Earth's axis, eclipses and their paths across the Earth's surface, and the phases of the moon. The largest image, displaying the Earth in various stages of its revolution around the Sun, explains the seasons, with solstices and equinoxes noted. At bottom are illustrations depicting the relative size of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, along with a demonstration of the curvature of the Earth

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

These illustrations were drawn by E. Guillemin (possibly Emile Guillemin, later a famed sculptor, whose father Auguste was a painter), engraved by Maximilien Honoré François Rapine, and printed by Charles Chardon as part of Louis Vivien de Saint-Martin's Atlas Universel de Géographie…, published by Hachette in 1878. It is not independently cataloged in the holdings of any institution, while the entire Atlas Universel… is well represented in the collections of major research institutions in North America and Europe.