{"product_id":"old-relief-map-of-france-by-bartholomew-1955-paris-alps-pyrenees-rhone-corsica","title":"Old Topographical Map of France by Bartholomew, 1955: Paris, Alps, Pyrenees, Rhône, Corsica","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrance, Plate 67, V. III offers a consummate view of the nation as envisioned in 1955 by John Bartholomew for The Geographical Institute, Edinburgh, within The Times Atlas of the World, Mid-Century Edition. In elegant, controlled color, metropolitan France unfolds from the cliffs of the Channel to the Pyrenean ramparts and the glittering sweep of the Mediterranean, with a dedicated inset rendering of Corsica. Political and physical realities are held in a poised balance: borders and place-names are set with calm authority, while gradient tints and spot heights model the terrain in nuanced depth. Roads, railways, and rivers thread the landscape, binding an urban constellation that includes Paris, Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Nice, Nantes, Strasbourg, Montpellier, Bordeaux, and Lille.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Bartholomew imprint—synonymous with clarity, accuracy, and typographic finesse—animates this plate. Under John Bartholomew’s direction, the Edinburgh institute perfected a language of color-layered relief and legible hierarchies that became the gold standard of mid-century cartography. As part of a five-volume atlas accompanied by an index of over 200,000 names, the plate exemplifies the project’s scholarly ambition: a harmonization of up-to-date geographic intelligence with refined visual grammar. The Times collaboration yielded authoritative mapping for an era reconciling scientific precision with elegant design, and this France stands as a signature demonstration of that ethos—disciplined, beautiful, and deeply informative.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePhysical France emerges in sculptural detail. The Alps flare along the Italian frontier, grading from the crystalline summits to the Rhône valley, while the Pyrenees stretch in serried ridges from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean. The Massif Central rises as a volcanic heartland, offset by the gentle Armorican uplands of Brittany, the rounded Vosges, and the Jura’s limestone arc. Major rivers—the Seine, Loire, Garonne, and Rhône with its Saône tributary—are plotted as organizing spines, draining to the Channel, Bay of Biscay, and the Gulf of Lion. Estuaries and deltas—most notably the Gironde and the Camargue—are carefully shaped, and the Strait of Dover, Atlantic littoral, and Côte d’Azur coastlines are crisply articulated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePolitical and human geographies interlace with equal care. National borders are crisply stated against Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium, while regional and departmental demarcations—echoing historic provinces—structure the interior. A dense road and railway lattice traces economic corridors: the Paris-to-Lille axis into the Low Countries; the Seine valley down to Channel ports; the classic Paris–Lyon–Marseille line along the Rhône; Atlantic routes to Nantes and Bordeaux; and transversal links to Toulouse and Montpellier. Urban hierarchies are instantly legible, distinguishing great cities from market towns and strategic junctions, with ports such as Marseille and Bordeaux anchoring maritime trade and Strasbourg signaling the diplomatic hinge of the northeast.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCorsica receives its own finely scaled treatment in the inset, a jewel-like island rising steeply from the Mediterranean. Gradient tints and spot heights convey the island’s mountainous spine, while the coastal placements of Ajaccio and Bastia, and the ring of roads knitting harbors to interior valleys, are delineated with Bartholomew’s unhurried precision. Taken together, the mainland plate and Corsican inset form a mid-century testament: France captured at a moment of reconstruction and modern connectivity, its landscapes, borders, and cities rendered with serene authority. It is both a document of contemporary geography and a lasting work of cartographic art, where every color wash and line advances understanding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCities and towns on this map\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFrance:\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eParis (Population: ~2,148,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMarseille (Population: ~861,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLyon (Population: ~513,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eToulouse (Population: ~490,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNice (Population: ~344,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eNantes (Population: ~318,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStrasbourg (Population: ~287,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMontpellier (Population: ~280,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBordeaux (Population: ~252,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eLille (Population: ~232,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCorsica:\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAjaccio (Population: ~70,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBastia (Population: ~45,000)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNotable Features \u0026amp; Landmarks\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInsets: Separate inset map dedicated to Corsica.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePhysical Features: Relief illustrated through gradient tints and spot heights.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePolitical Boundaries: Clearly defined borders between regions and provinces.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRoad Networks: Extensive depiction of roads and railways.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWater Bodies: Major rivers, lakes, and the Mediterranean Sea illustrated.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCity Markings: Major cities and towns indicated, with varying labels to denote significance.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHistorical and design context\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDate of creation: 1955.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMapmaker\/Publisher: John Bartholomew; The Geographical Institute Edinburgh.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003ePublication context: Part of The Times Atlas of the World, Mid-Century Edition (1955–1959), with an index of 200,000+ names.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMap themes: Detailed political and physical geography, including elevation, waterways, and urban development.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDesign style: Full-color with gradient tints to illustrate relief and depth; meticulous mid-20th-century cartographic detailing.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHistorical significance: Documents advances in cartographic techniques and France’s mid-20th-century geography.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease double check the images to make sure that a specific town or place is shown on this map. You can also get in touch and ask us to check the map for you.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks great at every size, but I always recommend going for a larger size if you have space. That way you can easily make out all of the details. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map looks amazing at sizes all the way up to 70in (180cm). If you are looking for a larger map, please \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003eget in touch\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e  \u003cp\u003eThe model in the listing images is holding the 16x20in (40x50cm) version of this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe fifth listing image shows an example of my map personalisation service.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you’re looking for something slightly different, check out my collection of the \u003ca href=\"\/de\/collections\/all-old-vintage-antique-maps\"\u003ebest old maps\u003c\/a\u003e to see if something else catches your eye.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePlease \u003ca href=\"\/de\/pages\/contact-us\"\u003econtact me\u003c\/a\u003e to check if a certain location, landmark or feature is shown on this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis would make a wonderful birthday, Christmas, Father's Day, work leaving, anniversary or housewarming gift for someone from the areas covered by this map.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis map is available as a giclée print on acid free archival matte paper, or you can buy it framed. The frame is a nice, simple black frame that suits most aesthetics. Please get in touch if you'd like a different frame colour or material. My frames are glazed with super-clear museum-grade acrylic (perspex\/acrylite), which is significantly less reflective than glass, safer, and will always arrive in perfect condition.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Unique Maps Co.","offers":[{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Map","offer_id":57969078370688,"sku":"UM00274885A","price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":57969078403456,"sku":"UM00274886A","price":111.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"12x16in (30x40cm) \/ Framed canvas map","offer_id":57969078436224,"sku":"UM00274887A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Map","offer_id":57969078468992,"sku":"UM00274888A","price":41.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed map","offer_id":57969078501760,"sku":"UM00274889A","price":111.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"A3 (297x420mm) \/ Framed canvas 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