- Title: Carte Générale du Département de la Gironde...
- Author: E. Doury & J. Cambarrot
- Date: 1888
- Condition: Very Good - dissected and laid to linen. Uniform age toning throughout
- Inches: 34 1/4 x 45 1/8 [Unfolded]
- Centimeters: 86.99 x 114.61 [Unfolded]
- Product ID: 308595
This exemplary large folding map, titled "Carte Générale du Département de la Gironde," was drawn up in 1888 under the direction of M. Jean Naliwes, with cartographers E. Doury and J. Cambarrot overseeing its meticulous production. Capturing the entirety of the Gironde region in southwestern France, the map combines elegant period coloration and detailed topography to present rivers, coastal areas, towns, and an intricate web of local roads and boundaries. Finely executed grids lend a scientific precision, while the clarity of settlement and transport features reflects the administrative reform and infrastructural optimism of late 19th-century France. This map is not only a functional tool but also a remarkable artifact of geographic art, offering viewers a window into the historical landscape and civic ambitions of the Gironde at a pivotal moment in its development.
Bordeaux Region in the 19th Century
During this period the Bordeaux region was experiencing a renewed phase of economic development and global prominence. Bordeaux had long been one of France’s principal trading cities, with its location on the Gironde River facilitating both domestic distribution and the flourishing international wine trade. After the disruption of the French Revolution and Napoleonic Wars, the region rebounded in the 1800s, fueled by merchant families, expansive vineyard holdings, and its famous port infrastructure.
The Bordeaux wine industry flourished, with the mid-to-late 1800s seeing advances in viticulture, merchant networks, and the rise of formal estate identities—this period laid the groundwork for Bordeaux wine’s reputation as a global luxury commodity. Major châteaux preserved their scale by developing shareholder structures, defying trends of constant subdivision under succession law seen elsewhere in France and maintaining the region’s dominance in both quantity and quality of production. Merchants harnessed advances in preservation and export, connecting Bordeaux wines to global markets in Britain, Germany, and beyond, securing lasting economic prosperity for the Gironde.
Background on Creator(s)
There is little readily available biographical information on E. Doury and J. Cambarrot. They likely served as official draftsmen or engineers associated with the French departmental or vicinal (road/communal) services, rather than being widely recognized figures in cartographic history. Their roles would have involved the survey, drafting, and technical preparation of comprehensive regional maps for administrative and infrastructure purposes in late 19th-century France, a period marked by the systematic mapping of departments and improvements in local topographic accuracy.
Official maps from this era typically reflect the collaborative efforts of government surveyors, civil engineers, and specialized draftsmen rather than individual mapmakers seeking personal renown. As a result, E. Doury and J. Cambarrot exemplify the professional, behind-the-scenes expertise necessary for France’s ambitious mapping projects in the age of modern nation-building.