1902 L'Armee Case Map of Paris and Environs

This is a splendid large size case map of Paris, France, and its environs prepared by the French Service Geographique de L'Armee. Extends from Vigny in the northwest to Rambouillet in the southwest to Marchemoret in the northeast and Solers in the southeast. Reveals the region in extraordinary detail to the level of individual buildings, parks, rivers, and streets. This is the 1926 reissued of the original 1902 map. Earlier variants of this map have been published from about 1850 onward and have been the basis for similar small format maps produced for numerous British and American atlases. This particular map has been dissected into 28 sections and mounted on linen for the purposes and folding and transport

Cartographer

Service géographique de l'armée (1887 - July 1, 1940) was the French army's Paris-based surveying, geodetic, and cartographic service, established to succeed the geographical branch of the Dépôt de la Guerre. It was created in 1887 after reorganizations of French military mapping following the Franco-Prussian War. Operating under the army's general staff, the service combined military leadership and field surveyors with civilian calculators, draftsmen, engravers, printers, and other specialists. Its responsibilities included triangulation, topographical surveys, and compiling, revising, reproducing, and selling maps. By 1937, its principal mapmaking departments were the sections of geodesy, topography, and cartography, supported by administrative and technical services; its headquarters stood at 136 bis rue de Grenelle in Paris. Major undertakings included the new triangulation of France, continued revision of the older staff map, and preparation of the new national map at 1:50,000. Ground surveys increasingly relied on photographic methods to speed up this work. The service also maintained cartographic collections and the former Dépôt de la Guerre's archives, trained geographical draftsmen, and developed surveying instruments. Although the army administered it, it supplied mapping to public bodies and undertook work for private customers using its own cartographic bases. After France's military defeat in 1940, the service was abolished effective July 1, 1940, and the civilian Institut géographique national under the Ministry of Public Works succeeded it, continuing its national surveying and mapping responsibilities.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good condition. Minor age toning, else fine. Dissected and mounted onto linen. Linen in generally very good condition, but with minor wear at some of the fold intersections.