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Description

One of the earliest obtainable maps of the District of Columbia to appear in a Commercial Atlas.

Fine example of the Buchon plan of the District of Columbia, as laid out by Pierre L'Enfant and completed under Andrew Ellicott.

The map includes a detailed plan of Washington DC, Georgetown, Alexandria, and a number of roads and rivers in the District. Muds Tavern is shown just outside the District on the Frederickstown Turnpike.  

Jean Alexandre Buchon Biography

Jean Alexandre Buchon (1791-1849) was a French scholar and historian. Born as the French Revolution raged, Buchon was dedicated to recovering France’s history in order to help the country heal and grow. He gathered French stories and published them as part of Collection des chroniques nationales franciases ecrites en langue vulgaire, du XIe au XVIe siècle (4 vols, 1824-1829). He also compiled and published an exploration collection and several histories, particularly about medieval France.

For geography, his most important contribution was publication of the French edition of Carey & Lea’s American Atlas in 1825. Each page of the atlas includes highly detailed text about the state or territory depicted, as well as a map of the area. The French edition is generally considered in high regard as compared to other editions, as it has quality paper and superior engraving.