Atlas de France

G. Etzel Pearcy reviews the second edition of Atlas de France, begun in 1951 to update outdated maps, revise topic coverage and incorporate newer cartographic techniques. At the time of writing, two of its three fascicules had appeared; completion was expected in 1958. Its 82 double-page plates cover physical geography, biogeography, economic geography, and human and political geography. Pearcy welcomes the varied scales and layouts tailored to individual subjects and describes detailed coverage of terrain, climate, hydrography and vegetation alongside economic activities and census-based population maps. The Société Française de Cartographie compiles data chiefly from official sources, particularly INSEE. Production combines André Libault’s photographic placement of dense distribution symbols and photographic lettering with slow printing on old flatbed presses. Pearcy praises the finished cartography and the printers’ craftsmanship. About 2,500 copies were being printed, sold by subscription at roughly sixty dollars, a price he considers restrictive chiefly to libraries and large organizations.