La deuxième édition de l'Atlas de France

Summary

This article reports on the presentation ceremony of the second edition of the Atlas of France, held on March 13 in the presence of the Minister of National Education, who admired the various plates and congratulated the contributors. The author traces the atlas's history from its first edition launched in 1931 and completed in 1946, noting its pioneering status worldwide and the subsequent need for renewal due to France's changing landscape and advances in cartographic techniques. The article highlights the intellectual leadership of Robert Perret, Emmanuel de Martonne, and Albert Demangeon in organizing contributions from geographers across French universities, as well as the technical expertise of the Société française de cartographie under André Libault. A significant portion is devoted to the financial challenges of the post-war period, emphasizing Jean Majorelle's crucial role in securing private funding from industrial, banking, and commercial sectors before the CNRS ultimately assumed responsibility. The author concludes that an atlas must be a continuously evolving creation, with plans already underway to replace outdated plates.