First Map Saigon (1 results)

Good. Manuscript and wash. Laid down on archival paper. Some wear on old fold lines. Soiling. Size 26.5 x 30.75 Inches. This is Lucien Florent Paul Coffyn's 1862 manuscript masterplan of Saigon - the first and most significant map of Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City). Coffyn was the French military engineer tasked with transforming a war-torn fort into a model colonial capital. Following the 1861 French occupation of Saigon, authorities resolved to build a new city on the wartorn site at a monumental scale, reflecting boundless imperial ambition. Coffyn, driven by an unwavering belief in the colony's promise, envisioned a grand, European-style metropolis designed to accommodate half a million residents across 25 square kilometers. The present map - exquisitely drafted and signed by both Coffyn and Vice Admiral Louis Bonard, Governor of Cochinchina - is the likely original manuscript submitted for formal approval. Over the subseqeunt decades, Coffyn's street layout and placement of major sites were implemented with fidelity, though not comprehensively, marking this as the foundational document of colonial Saigon. It stands as a unique testament to French imperial planning and an unparalleled artifact of Asian colonial urbanism. A Closer Look The map is meticulously executed in grisaille pen and wash. It presents an ambitious polygonal city extending west from the Saigon River (Sông Sài Gòn) and exhibiting symmetry and perfection seemingly at odds with the swampy malarial terrain of the Mekong Delta. Coverage extends south to the Arroyo Chinois (Tàu H?) and north to the Arroyo de l'Avalanche (Th? Nghè), bother pre-existing rivers. The terrain was to be drained by a series of canals, including a belt canal ( canal de ceinture ), which would also serve a defensive function, and an expansive network of internal canals. The streets are laid out on a grid of 45° orthogonals radiating from a semicircular plaza on the waterfront. Streets throughout are numbered, with the sole exception being the proposed main street, Rue Impériale (now Hai Bà Tr?ng Street), which runs northeast from the rondpointe . To the north of Rue Impériale is the Gouvernement et Administration Supérieure in the form of a large fort - the site of Saigon's existing La Citadelle du Phe?nix. To the Rue Impérial, he planned the city's commercial and industrial district, comprising some 2,300 hectares. The remainder was intended for residential development, including a large public park and water basin. Across the river to the east and south are proposed residential suburbs. The legend at lower right identifies 30 key locations: Gouvernement et Administration Sup.re - Supreme Government and Administration Office, located within La citadelle du Phénix. Caserne des Troupes Indigènes - Barracks for Indigenous Troops. Caserne de Cavalerie - Barracks for Cavalry. Caserne d'Infanterie de Marine - Barracks for the Marines. Champ des Manuvres - Field for Military Manoeuvres. Cimetière - Cemetery. Prisons - Prisons. Hôpital - Hospital. Arsenal - Arsenal. Caserne du Génie - Barracks for the Engineering Corps. Magasine aux Vivres et Magasin Général - Food Storage Magazine and General Magazine. Construction Navales - Naval Construction Grounds. Dépôt de Charbons - Coal Depot. Gouvernement Provisoire (Doit devenir Place Pbl.) - Provisional Government Office (will become the Place Publique). Messagerie Impériales - Imperial Post and Telegraph Office. Direction du Port de Commerce - Commercial Harbour Master's Office. Direction du Port Militaire - Military Port HQ. Terrains occupés provisoirement - Land temporarily occupied by Spanish Troops, Marine Artillery, Military Engineering, Hospital, Coolie's Depot, Hydrographic Office. Terrains occupés provisoirement par Magasin Général - Land temporarily occupied by the General Magazine. Terrains occupés provisoirement par Les Subsistances - Land temporarily occupied by the Military Storehouse. Terrains occupés provi.