Accession No

6540

Brief Description

deck of 42 printed colour didactic astronomy / geography playing cards, “Cartes Elementaires d’Astronomie et de Geographie”, in slip case, by ‘M. l’Abbe’ [Louis-Michel Paris], French, c. 1790

Origin

France; Paris

Maker

M. l’Abbe [Louis-Michel Paris]

Class

astronomy; cartography; demonstration

Earliest Date

1790

Latest Date

1807

Inscription Date

Material

paper (paper, card); rope (string); hide (leather?)

Dimensions

Special Collection

Provenance

Purchased from Daniel Crouch Rare Books, 4 Bury St., St. James’s, London, SW1Y 6AB, on or before 01/07/2014.

Inscription

Cartes Elementaires d’Astronomie et de Geographie
par M. l’Abbe Paris
A Falaise, chez Bree freres, Et se trouve a Paris, chez Mercilly, rue St-Julien-le-Pauvre, no. 14, A Rouen, chez Lecrene-Labbey.

Description Notes

Deck of 42 printed colour didactic astronomy / geography cards, “Cartes Elementaires d’Astronomie et de Geographie”, in slip case, by ‘M. l’Abbe’ [Louis-Michel Paris], French, c. 1790.

Deck of 42 playing cards, printed and coloured, each with illustration depicting a principle of astronomy, geography, or of the spherical geometry of the earth, and a printed description on the reverse. The cards are numbered from 1 to 42. Card 15 has a piece of string attached, as a moveable line indicator. Cards 23, 41, and 42 contain volvelles attached with string. Card 42 contains a manuscript signature on its reverse, possibly “le Mercieu”. Also included with cards is a folded piece of paper with printed instructions: “Règles du jeu des nouvelles cartes astronomiques et geographiques” [rules for playing with new astronomy and geography cards].

The cards are contained in a card case with leather(?) outer lining, and printed paper cover on front, with illustration of celestial globe, telescope, and octant, and the following text:

“Cartes Elementaires d’Astronomie et de Geographie
par M. l’Abbe Paris
A Falaise, chez Bree freres, Et se trouve a Paris, chez Mercilly, rue St-Julien-le-Pauvre, no. 14, A Rouen, chez Lecrene-Labbey.”

References

Events