1948 Blondel La Rougery Pictorial Map of Le Havre, France

This is a 1948 Blondel la Rougery and Imprimerie Gaillac-Monrocq pictorial map of Le Havre, France. Published within a few years of the end of World War II (1939 - 1945), this map acts more as a summary of all the history that was lost during the war than as a practical guide to getting around the city.

A Closer Look

The map depicts central Le Havre with its port at the bottom. The city’s churches, schools, theatres, city hall, railroad station, and military barracks are highlighted with profile illustrations, and orange text identifies each one. Orange text and color highlight government buildings, factories, schools, shops, hospitals, and numerous other locations throughout the city. Le Havre’s 13 tram lines are highlighted as well. An extensive index of Le Havre's streets, docks, squares, bridges, and other locations frame the map on 3 sides.

Rebuilding a City

Before World War II, Le Havre was one of the biggest ports in Europe. During the war, Le Havre endured 132 Allied bombing raids that killed 5,000 people, injured as many as 80,000, and destroyed 12,500 buildings. The Hotel de Ville (City Hall), the Bourse (Stock Exchange), and the museum (all of which are highlighted here) were destroyed by the bombing campaign, along with the churches of Notre Dame and St. Michel. Thus, as this map was published in May 1948, it is more of a summary of what was lost during the war than a practical guide for getting around the city.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by Éditions Blondel la Rougery and published by the Imprimerie Gaillac-Monrocq in Paris in 1948. Blondel la Rougery began publishing editions of this map in 1890, with subsequent editions appearing in at least 1918 and 1924.