HOUZÉ (A.). Universal Historical and Geographical Atlas, com - Lot 188

HOUZÉ (A.). Universal Historical and Geographical Atlas, comprising one hundred and one maps Paris, Librairie Universelle, 30 rue de la Harpe, circa the mid-19th century. Large quarto. Contemporary blue half-cloth binding, gilt title on the spine. An important historical and educational publication bringing together 101 engraved and color-enhanced maps, illustrating the political and territorial evolution of major nations from antiquity to the author’s own time. Each map is accompanied by explanatory notes designed to place the events in their historical and geographical context. The work is one of the most comprehensive French historical atlases of its time. Compiled by A. Houzé, a member of the Geographical Society and author of several popular works on geography, it offers a remarkable visual synthesis of the major movements in world history: the Crusades, the expansion of medieval kingdoms, the Napoleonic Empire, the history of the Holy Land, and migrations and changes in European borders. A very complete copy featuring all 101 of its hand-colored maps, several of which are devoted to France, classical antiquity, the Holy Land, and the great European empires. Contemporary binding showing scuffing and wear on the head and foot caps, with a few small tears in the cloth. Interior is fresh; maps are well-preserved and still vividly colored. A sought-after work for the richness of its cartographic illustrations and its historical significance, offering a glimpse into the teaching of history and geography in the 19th century.