1897 Fichot Bird's-Eye View Map of Paris, France

This is an exceptional c. 1896 Michel Charles Fichot chromolithograph bird's-eye view map of Paris, France. The view looks southeast down the Champs-Élysées towards the Place des Concordes, the Jardin des Tuileries, and the Louvre. The Seine with its iconic bridges curves through the heart of the city. Pedestrians, carriages, and a battalion of soldiers ply the streets, emphasizing the bustling French capital.

The Palais de l'Industrie

Illustrating Paris during a period of a few months in early 1897, the empty field in the foreground on the right used to be home to the Palais de l'Industrie. The Palais, built for the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris, welcomed not only that 'Expo' but also the 1878 and 1889 Exposition Universelle. It also hosted Paris's annual art salon from 1857 until 1897. The building was demolished in 1897 to make way for the Petit Palais and the Grand Palais, which were built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle, and are still a fixture of Paris's architecture.

Chromolithography

Chromolithography, sometimes called oleography, is a color lithographic technique developed in the mid-19th century. The process involved using multiple lithographic stones, one for each color, to yield a rich composite effect. Oftentimes, the process would start with a black basecoat upon which subsequent colors were layered. Some chromolithographs used 30 or more separate lithographic stones to achieve the desired product. Chromolithograph color could also be effectively blended for even more dramatic results. The process became extremely popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries when it emerged as the dominant method of color printing. The vivid color chromolithography produced made it exceptionally effective for advertising and propaganda imagery.

Publication History and Census

This view was drawn by Michel Charles Fichot, lithographed by Fichot and Thomas Muller, and printed by Rose-Joseph Lemercier c. 1896. This is the only known cataloged example.