Plan of Paris on the Ribbon System Souvenir of the Grand Warehouse of the Bon Marche/ Plan De Paris A Ruban Indicateur Des Magasins Du Bon Marche.
20 x 27 inches. Two-stone, red & black lithographed folding map in original boards with locator ribbon intact; 48 page guide complete; some separation at junctures of folds, very good. A very attractive plan of Paris produced by the mega-department store, Bon Marche, which is depicted from various perspectives in the four corners of this work. The plan clearly divides the city into its 19 arrondissements, each of which is prominently named. The Grands Magasins du Bon Marche was in fact the world's first department store. The brainchild of Aristide Boucicaut, it was established in 1852 and moved into its massive, purpose-built premises in 1869. It was further enlarged in 1873 and 1876 by Louis-Charles Boileau, this latter extension undertaken with the help of Gustave Eiffel and notable for its use of glass and iron. The map incorporates an ingenious coordinate-and-ribbon method for the location of landmarks on it. By comparing coordinates given in the 48-page guide with the corresponding numbers on the map’s margin and the attached ribbon, a visitor to Paris could quickly find shops, theatres, streets and any number of other features.
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