1946 Leconte Pocket Map of Paris, France showing Monuments

An iconic tourist pocket map and guidebook of Paris, France, prepared by André Leconte c. 1946. Designed for tourists, it highlights the monuments and other attractions of the City of Light while also providing practical information for the traveler.

A Closer Look

Maps are printed on both sides of the sheet. On the recto, the map centers on the Seine River and covers the heart of Paris. All major monuments, museums, and historic attractions are illustrated, including the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, and Notre Dame. Several more modern structures appear along the periphery of Paris' arrondissements and nearby suburbs. Paris itself is set as if in a verdant garden surrounded by the Bois de Boulogne, Bois de Vincennes, and various suburban villages. Streets are labeled throughout and references are made to the city's rail and subway network. These are displayed much more prominently on the verso, which focuses on the Métropolitain and provides a more thorough accounting of the streets of Paris.

Publication History and Census

This map was published in various editions from roughly 1900 to the 1960s, originally by Garnier Frères and then by André Leconte. Here, it is issued as part of a tourist guidebook consisting of a street index along with other important tourist information. The monumental map was engraved by L. Poulmaire, while both maps were edited by Leconte (who also published the guidebook) and printed by Gaston Maillet and Co. The maps are undated, but from context (such as the Hôpital Beaujon and cynodrome at the top-left and the Musée Permanent des Colonies at right) must date from the late 1930s to the early 1950s.