1860 Set of 12 Postcards of Arrondissements in Paris, France

This is a set of twelve (12) c. 1860 card maps of Paris arrondissements. Created shortly after Paris expanded to twenty arrondissements in 1859, the cards depict the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 13th, 14th, and 17th arrondissements in impressive detail considering their size. Set against a gold background, each card features a map of the arrondissement, the Coat of Arms of Paris, and a view of sites. Streets are identified within each arrondissement, along with important locations, such as the Gare du Nord in the 10th, the Jardin des Plantes in the 5th, the Louvre and Jardin des Tuileries in the 1st, and the Jardin du Luxembourg in the 6th. The vignette views (most of which are in the lower left of each card) illustrate such locations as the Palais Royal, the Arc de Triomphe, the Hotel de Ville, the Opéra, and the Panthéon, among others.

Publication History and Census

These cards were created and published c. 1860 by an unknown artist, likely to promote the new arrondissements. We have seen images of two of the individual cards, but no sets. It is unclear if the current collection represents only 12 of 20, or if the set was never completed.