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Bossan – Géographie Universelle (1813) – Exemplaire illustré à cartes dépliantes – Reliure d’époque en plein cuir

Superbe témoin de la production géographique lyonnaise sous l’Empire, cet ouvrage publié par Amable Leroy, éditeur scolaire majeur du début du XIXᵉ siècle, se présente dans une reliure d’époque en plein cuir, à la patine noble et régulière. L’ensemble conserve une allure particulièrement harmonieuse, rare pour un manuel destiné à l’usage des élèves.

Les plats, nets et parfaitement solidaires, ne présentent que de très légères traces d’usage. Le dos, orné de son titre doré sur pièce de maroquin noir et de fleurons finement frappés, demeure d’une grande élégance ; la coiffe supérieure est légèrement émoussée, sans aucune conséquence structurelle.
L’intérieur est d’une fraîcheur remarquable, avec seulement quelques rousseurs très légères et clairsemées.

L’ouvrage compte 456 pages et un bel ensemble iconographique composé de 16 cartes dépliantes, joliment tirées et d’un état général très satisfaisant. Sur les cartes de grand format, on relève quelques petites déchirures marginales aux plis externes, limitées aux bordures et sans atteinte à la gravure — phénomène courant pour ce type de matériel destiné à être manipulé.

La carte de l’Égypte, annoncée au titre, est absente : il s’agit vraisemblablement d’une variante des tirages lyonnais, où certaines feuilles régionales pouvaient, selon toute probabilité, être omises en fonction de la disponibilité des cuivres. L’ensemble demeure cohérent et complet pour son émission, regroupant toutes les grandes cartes du monde et des continents.

Souvent mentionnés dans les bibliographies scolaires françaises du XIXᵉ siècle, les manuels de Bossan témoignent de l’évolution de l’enseignement géographique post-révolutionnaire, où la cartographie devient un outil fondamental de compréhension du monde moderne. Réunir un corpus cartographique aussi ample dans un format portatif constitue un atout majeur et très recherché.

Un volume d’un charme indéniable, véritable atlas de poche de l’Europe et du monde en 1813, conservé dans un état rarement rencontré pour ce type d’ouvrages.

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Bossan – Géographie Universelle (1813) – Illustrated copy with folding maps – Contemporary full-leather binding

A splendid example of early 19th-century geographical pedagogy, printed in Lyon by Amable Leroy, one of the leading educational publishers of the Napoleonic era. Preserved in its original full-leather binding, the volume displays a smooth, even patina and an excellent structural integrity—an uncommon survival for a schoolbook of this age.

The boards are clean and firmly attached, showing only minimal rubbing. The spine, with its gilt title on black morocco label and delicate gilt tools, remains highly attractive; the upper headcap shows slight softening, without structural impact.
The interior is very well preserved, with only a few faint and scattered foxing spots.

The work comprises 456 pages and, above all, a substantial suite of 16 folding maps, finely printed and in very good overall condition. On the largest plates, originally folded several times, one observes small marginal tears confined to the outer folds, never touching the engraved surface — a common feature in school atlases of the period.

The map of Egypt, although announced on the title-page, is not present. This absence is most likely the result of a variant of the Lyon printings, where certain regional plates were, in all probability, omitted depending on copperplate availability. The atlas remains coherent and complete for its issue, containing all major continental and world maps.

Frequently referenced in 19th-century French educational bibliographies, Bossan’s geographical manuals illustrate the evolution of post-Revolution pedagogy, when cartography became an essential tool for understanding the expanding world. The presence of such a rich cartographic ensemble in a compact format greatly enhances its collectability.

A refined and evocative volume—nothing less than a pocket atlas of Europe and the known world in 1813, preserved with uncommon care.

Geography - Quantity: 1 - Fold out maps or plates - Book

Bossan (M.) - Géographie Universelle - 1813

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