Beschreibung:

TURGOT, Michel Etienne and Louis BRETEZ Plan de Paris commencé l'Année 1734 ... sous les ordres de Messire Michel Etienne Turgot ... Achevé de Graver en 1739 . Paris: 1739. 2° (555 x 440mm). Engraved throughout, folding index map and plan of Paris on 20 sheets by Claude Lucas after Louis Bretez sheets 18 and 19 joined. Contemporary red morocco gilt, covers with double-fillet and roll tools border, fleur-de-lys cornerpieces with the centrally-placed arms of the city of Paris, spine in ten compartments with raised bands, brown morocco lettering-piece in the second, the others with repeat pattern of fleur-de-lys and star tools, gilt edges. Provenance : George Hay 12th Earl of Kinnoull (1827-1897, armorial bookplate); Sir George Donaldson (1845-1925). A FINE COPY OF A CARTOGRAPHICAL TOUR-DE-FORCE: the 20 sheets form a single enormous plan (approximately 2.5 x 3.2metres). This takes the form of a bird's-eye-view with a decorative border and exhibits enough detail to still be of use to researchers into the pre-Haussman architectural history of Paris. A former owner, Sir George Donaldson, was the leading British dealer of his generation and a voracious collector. The National Gallery, The Victoria & Albert Museum and the Royal College of Music all benefitted from his donations. For himself he created a private museum which was dispersed at a five day sale in 1925. The present work was in his library and was a present to his daughter and thence by descent to the present owner.