RARE 1834 World Map - Origins of Scientific Racism - 5 Human Races - Legrand For Sale

RARE 1834 World Map - Origins of Scientific Racism - 5 Human Races - Legrand.
A Certificate of Authenticity (COA) confirming the item\'s description and origin will be provided with the map.
Overview

• Title: Élémens de Géographie Moderne

• Publisher: Augustin Legrand, Paris (c. 1834-1837)

• Cartography: Based on the methods of Mentelle & Abbé Gauthier

• Language: Entirely in French

• Dimensions: 54 x 40 cm (approx. 21.2 x 15.7 inches)

• Technique: Original hand-colored double-page atlas plate (Mercator projection)

Historical Significance: A Primary Source of \"Scientific Racism\"

This is not merely a map; it is a foundational artifact of 19th-century Scientific Racism. Published during the July Monarchy, it served as an elite educational tool, illustrating the birth of racial hierarchy in the Western world.

1. Detailed Ethnographic Texts (The \"Five Races\")

The map features extensive lateral columns describing the \"Five Main Races of Mankind,\" categorized by the physical morphology and physiognomy theories of Cuvier and Blumenbach:

• Arab-European Race: Described with white or brown skin.

• Mongol Race: Detailed with flat foreheads, prominent cheekbones, narrow noses, and \"oblique\" eyes.

• African Race: Described with \"receding foreheads,\" \"protruding jaws,\" flat noses, and black skin.

• American Race: Notes on the indigenous peoples of the Americas.

• Hyperborean Race: Described as \"thickset\" with brown skin and \"flat, round faces\".

• Rare Iconography: Includes engraved vignettes for each race, such as an African figure under a parasol and Hyperboreans with a dugout canoe and palms.

2. Advanced Physical Geography & Meteorology

Beyond ethnography, the map is a high-level scientific document for its era, citing giants like Arago, Humboldt, and Laplace:

• Meteorology: Precise wind speed calculations per second/hour and data on trade winds.

• Pluviometry: Specific rainfall measurements for Paris, London, St. Petersburg, Venice, and Genoa.

• Oceanography: Detailed notes on sea salinity (varying by latitude), solar-attraction tides, and the location of the Magnetic Equator.

Condition Report

• Museum Grade: Exceptional state of preservation.

• Colors: Original 19th-century hand-coloring remains incredibly vivid (vibrant pinks, yellows, and greens).

• Paper: High-quality, crisp paper with the original center fold.

• Margins: Complete margins with no significant foxing, tears, or restorations.

Shipping & Handling

• Professional Archival Packaging: Shipped flat in acid-free materials to ensure zero damage.

• Global Shipping: Available via UPS / FedEx / DHL for secure, trackable transit.

• Insurance: Fully insured for the final sale value; signature required upon illustrative photo, not contractual, sold unframed. This is a rare opportunity for museums, university archives (Black History / History of Ideas), or private collectors of high-level 19th-century artifacts.