1897 Antoine Victor Dencède Wall Map of the World

This scarce, grand Belle-Epoque chromolithograph map of the world was created by Antoine Victor Dencède as a supplement to subscribers to the Didot-Bottin Commercial Almanac of 1897, in celebration of the publication's hundredth year. From its beginnings as an annual business directory for Paris, the Didot-Bottin Annuaire de Commerce grew in scope by the end of the 19th century to include not only all of France but also foreign cities and France's colonies. Thus, a world map of this sort - highlighting European colonial interests around the globe and the steamship connections binding them together - would have been eagerly received.

A Closer Look

The map is drawn on double hemispheres, surrounded by an elegant border embellished with the 'Didot-Bottin' brand name and logo. The map uses a color code to indicate European colonial territories and show the national affiliations of specific commercial shipping routes. The routes are annotated with their endpoints, as well as the travel time in days. Railroads are marked on land. Heralding the revolution in communication then underway, the map also includes both surface and oceanic telegraph lines linking Europe to locations as remote as Tasmania and New Zealand. Extensive tables enumerate the populations of countries around the globe while also listing European colonial possessions - Great Britain and France appear to have the longest reach in this regard.

The Edges of Exploration

Geographical features include recent discoveries approaching the poles. In the Arctic, the nearest lands to the Pole are Grant Land and Hall Land, the northernmost portion of Canada and the coldest part of Greenland, respectively, and in the eastern hemisphere, Spitzbergen and the archipelago of Franz Josef Land. In the south, scattered glimpses of Antarctica are delineated.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process uses multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Generally, a chromolithograph begins with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors are layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired effect. Chromolithograph color can be 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 made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda.

Publication History and Census

This map is scarce: it rarely appears on the market and seldom survives in strong condition. It was created by Antoine Victor Dencède for Didot-Bottin and printed in chromolithography by commercial poster printer Courmont Freres in Paris as a separate issue. We see institutional copies only in the Bibliotheque National de France, Boston Public Library, and the National Library of Poland.