Atlas of Geographical Wonders: From Mountaintops to Riverbeds - Hardcover

by Jean-Christophe Bailly (Author), Gilles Palsky (Author), Jean-Marc Besse (Author)

This is the first book to catalog comparative maps and tableaux that visualize the heights and lengths of the world's mountains and rivers. Produced predominantly in the nineteenth century, these beautifully rendered maps emerged out of the tide of exploration and scientific developments in measuring techniques. Beginning with the work of explorer Alexander von Humboldt, these historic drawings reveal a world of artistic and imaginative difference. Many of them give way--and with visible joy--to the power of fantasy in a mesmerizing array of realistic and imaginary forms. Most of the maps are from the David Rumsey Historical Map Collection at Stanford University.

Author Biography

Gilles Palsky is a professor of geography at the University of Paris. He has published a history of statistical cartography of the nineteenth century.

Jean-Christophe Bailly teaches the history of landscape formation at the École d'ingénieurs paysagistes (School of Landscape Architecture), Blois, France.

Jean-Marc Besse is director of research at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (UMR Géographie-cités).

Philippe Grand is the author of nine books of poetry and publisher of Fage editions of Lyon, France.