Larmat, Louis

Louis Larmat (19xx - xxxx) was a French publisher and cartographer active during the mid-20th century. Larmat published the world's first national wine atlas, his Atlas de la France Vinicole between 1941 and 1947. Divided into six volumes, each volume focused on a specific wine producing region. Volume one detailed wines from Bordeaux and subsequent volumes focused on Bourgogne, les côtes du Rhône, Champagne, les coteaux de la Loire, and the eaux-de-vie de France and cognac. Subsequent editions were published in 1949 and 1953, many of which were updated. It also appears that Larmat intended to produce a series of road maps meant for self-guided wine tours, the 'route des grand crus.' Only one of these is known to exist and focuses on the Bordeaux region. This map was not simply taken from the atlas focusing on Bordeaux. It was a new creation and includes the main roads and vignettes of several of the chateaux. Very little is known about Larmat's life and career apart from the Atlas de la France Vinicole. The Bibliothèque nationale de France notes that he was a publisher in Paris (éditeur Parisien) and provides two Parisian addresses. His earliest accredited publication dates to 1924 and was published in Nice, which suggests the Larmat may have begun his career there. He also published three separate maps later in his career: the general 'Carte de la France Vinicole' by Marcel Azema in 1945, the 'Carte du Vignoble Alsacien' by Robert Louis in 1949, and 'L'Algérie Vinicole' by Georges Lafosse in 1954.