Napoléon Chaix / N. de Lajolais - Guide-Chaix. Nouveau Guide de Paris à Strasbourg et à Bâle, Etude historique et descriptive de - 1852

Charming set of two uncommon guides, each illustrated with a large folded map and 19 lithographed plates in a monochrome palette.

The 'New Guide from Paris to Strasbourg and Basel' is a detailed 188-page itinerary guide designed for travelers journeying along this important route connecting Paris to eastern France, the city of Strasbourg, and reaching Basel in Switzerland. The book includes precise descriptions of the route, indicates the stages, provides practical information such as relay stations, local curiosities, and features about ten engravings along with a map to better locate the places traversed. It is part of the so-called 'Traveler's Library' collection, which combines historical information, geographical descriptions, and practical guides.

Regarding the 'Historical and Descriptive Study of Strasbourg,' included in the collection or published during the same period by Chaix, this 156-page volume offers a detailed analysis and a historical overview of the city of Strasbourg and its surroundings. This type of study covers iconic sites, urban and architectural development, and the local political and cultural context, especially in a post-annexation context of Alsace by France (after 1648) and the tensions surrounding this region.

The volumes are in their beautiful publisher's binding of the time, made of percaline decorated with cold-embossed ornaments and gold tooling, including a gold-stamped image on the spine depicting a steam locomotive from the era. Overall, they are in good condition; the flaws are minor: some foxing, a tear on a page of a catalog at the end.

These two volumes of the Guides Chaix, published in 1852, are valuable testimonies of travel and geographical knowledge in the mid-19th century. The main author associated with this type of guide is Napoléon Chaix (1807-1865), a French publisher and geographer specializing in the production of practical and illustrated travel guides, promoting the discovery of major routes, cities, and their history. The period corresponds to a time when tourism was developing in France and Europe, notably with the improvement of railway and road networks.