Hand Colored Antique Map of the Department of L'allier, France

Antique map titled 'Dept. De L'Allier'. Map of the French department of l'Allier, France. This area of France is known for its production of Saint-Pourçain wine. It is also one of the rare places in Southern Europe where the freshwater grayling occurs in a natural habitat. The whole is surrounded by elaborate decorative engravings designed to illustrate both the natural beauty and trade richness of the land. There is a short textual history of the regions depicted on both the left and right sides of the map. This map originates from 'Atlas National de la France Illustree' published by V. Levasseur, circa 1852. Victor Levasseur (1800?1870) was a French cartographer widely known for his distinctive decorative style. He produced numerous maps more admired for the artistic content of the scenes and data surrounding the map than for the detail of the map. Victor Levasseur's "Atlas National Illustré" and "Atlas Universel Illustré" are among the last great decorative atlases published.