An Atlas of Geographical Wonders: From Mountaintops to Riverbeds A Selection of Comparative Maps and Tableaux
by: Bailly Jean Christophe; Besse Jean Marc; Grand Philip

Hardcover. NY, Princeton Architectural Press, 1st US, 2019, Book: Very Good, Dust Jacket: None, Hardcover, decorated cloth covers, oblong format. 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.