Alexandre Vuillemin (1812-1880) was a prominent 19th century French
cartographer
Cartography (; from grc, χάρτης , "papyrus, sheet of paper, map"; and , "write") is the study and practice of making and using maps. Combining science, aesthetics and technique, cartography builds on the premise that reality (or an im ...
and editor based in Paris. He produced a number of
atlases
An atlas is a collection of maps; it is typically a bundle of maps of Earth or of a region of Earth.
Atlases have traditionally been bound into book form, but today many atlases are in multimedia formats. In addition to presenting geographic ...
, and his
maps are noted for the frequent use of extensive margin illustrations –
vignettes
Vignette may refer to:
* Vignette (entertainment), a sketch in a sketch comedy
* Vignette (graphic design), decorative designs in books (originally in the form of leaves and vines) to separate sections or chapters
* Vignette (literature), short, i ...
, famous people, and views of cities. His atlases were popular, and many went through multiple editions.
Despite a prolific cartographic career, not a lot is known of Vuillemin's life. He studied under the French cartographer Auguste Dufour (1798 - 1865), and his atlases and maps are held by and available through many collections including the
British Museum
The British Museum is a public museum dedicated to human history, art and culture located in the Bloomsbury area of London. Its permanent collection of eight million works is among the largest and most comprehensive in existence. It docum ...
and the
University of Alabama
The University of Alabama (informally known as Alabama, UA, or Bama) is a Public university, public research university in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Established in 1820 and opened to students in 1831, the University of Alabama is the oldest and la ...
Historical Maps of Europe Archive.
[Available online. See "External Links to Works Available Online" above.] Vuillemin's most important works include his detailed, highly decorative large format Atlas Illustré de Géographie Commerciale et Industrielle as well as his many French Atlases.
Selected works
* Atlas illustré de géographie commerciale et industrielle
* Atlas illustré destiné à l'enseignement de la géographie élémentaire
* Atlas universel (1839, 1847 and 1871)
* Atlas de géographie ancienne et moderne à destination des pensionnats (Paris 1843)
* Atlas national illustré de la France (1845)
* Mappemonde (Paris 1856)
* Atlas du cosmos (1867)
* Atlas topographique de la France (1873)
* Atlas de géographie contemporaine (1875)
* Carte de la Baltique donnant le Sund, le golfe de Finlande (1854)
* La France et ses Colonies: Atlas illustré cent cartes dressées d’après les cartes de Cassini, du Dépot de la guerre, des Ponts-et-chaussées et de la Marine (1858 and 1870)
External Links to Works Available Online
La France et ses Colonies, 1858. Link to 101 maps from the atlas “France and its Colonies” at Old Book Art
References
Notes
Bibliography
* British Museum “British Museum Catalogue of Printed Books” British Museum, 1882. London, England.
* Goffart, Walter “Historical atlases: the first three hundred years, 1570-1870” University Of Chicago Press, 2003. Chicago IL.
* Tooley, Ronald V. "Mapping of Australia" Holland Press, 1979.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vuillemin, Alexandre
1812 births
1880 deaths
French cartographers