1870 Brue and Levasseur Pocket Map of Italy

Victor Levasseur (1800 - 1870), an important French engineer, cartographer, and engraver of the mid 19th century, held a number of important cartographically related political and educations posts in France. He is most famous for his Atlas National Illustré des 86 Départements et des Possessions de La France, a large decorative atlas of France, including his Planisphere and five important continental maps. Levasseur's maps are distinctive for their wide decorative margins containing elaborate depictions of the scenery, peoples, and trade goods of the areas he mapped. Levasseur maps are also known to offer a wealth of statistical data. Until recently, very few Levasseur Atlases migrated out of France where they were mostly used in public libraries and town halls. His work represents some of the last great decorative atlases of the 19th century. More by this mapmaker...

Adrien-Hubert Brué (1786 – July 16, 1832) was a French cartographer active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Brué served on various ships from age 12. At 14 he was commissioned to the crew of the Naturalist, one of the two ships in Baudin Expedition (1800 – 1804) to the South Pacific. Later in life, Brué turned to cartography where his work was known for remarkable clarity and accuracy. Brué eventually acquired the prestigious office of Geographe du Roi and often signed his maps as such. In this position Brué contributed to thousands of maps and numerous atlases. Like most cartographers, many of his maps were published posthumously. His widow published several maps in 1834, before selling out to Brué's erstwhile partner, Charles Picquet's son and heir, Pierre-Jacques Picquet. Brue's maps were still being updated and republished decades after his death. Learn More...