‘Madagascar’ [Atlas Factice of Madagascar]

Description ‘Madagascar’ [Atlas Factice of Madagascar]. [Atlas Factice assembled in Madagascar from maps published by the Service géographique de l’Etat Major du groupe de l’Afrique Orientale (Antananarivo), 1912-14].   8° (22.5 x 15.5 cm): 25 colour photo-lithographed maps (of various sizes, many folding, see below for details) and 1 ‘Legend’ sheet, each mounted over leaves of blank printed administrative forms of thick paper, plus, 1 looseleaf monochrome photolithographed map of Tananarive [Antananarivo] (30.5 x 24.5 cm), followed by 13 ff. of blank printed forms, bound in original red card wrappers bearing printed pastedown title of ‘Madagascar’ on upper cover (Very Good, all maps quite clean and bright with just the odd small spot; covers with some light shelf-wear, upper cover sun-faded).   This seemingly unique work is an atlas factice of all the regions of Madagascar assembled on the island, featuring locally published maps.  Created in 1912-14, on the eve of World War I, it seems to have been custom made for use by a civil administrator or army officer who had reason to travel throughout Madagascar.   The atlas contains 25 colour photo-lithographed maps (of various sizes, many folding) and 1 ‘Legend’ sheet, plus, a loosely inserted monochrome city plan of the colonial capital, Tananarive (Antananarivo).  The maps are pasted down over leaves of blank printed administrative forms and bound in a book with the simple pastedown cover title of ‘Madagascar’.  The 25 colour photolithographed maps were all printed in Tananarive by the press of the colonial military mapping establishment, the Service géographique de l’Etat Major du groupe de l’Afrique Orientale.   The colour photo-lithographed maps are of two types.  First, 19 of the maps (being # 1-16 and 18-20, below), which are of a relatively small format, are administrative maps of specific jurisdictions (either ‘provinces’ or ‘cercles’), and seem to be the same as those printed within an edition of the official almanac of Madagascar, the Guide-Annuaire de Madagascar et Dépendances (published in Tananarive by the Imprimerie officielle from 1902 to 1913).  While they bear no imprint, they were published by the Service géographique de l’Etat Major, as that press was known to produce such maps for the Imprimerie officielle.  This suite of maps shows the provinces to be divided into districts, while delineating roads fit for carriages and mules, as well as trails.  All towns and villages of any note are marked, while all rivers are delineated and forested areas are shaded in green.   Second, six of the maps (being # 17, 21-25 the ‘Legend’ (#26), which bears the date of ‘Novembre 1911’), which are of a large format, are regional maps each covering several provinces.  They are quite sophisticated transport, communications and administrative maps, that would be extremely useful for a civil servant or military office making a renaissance of the island.  The Legend identifies the symbols to denote all kinds of jurisdictional boundaries and the locations of government offices of various levels of importance; all roads and trails of various qualities, as well as the lines or railways, both in operation and under construction/proposed; the locations of telegraph, post offices and telegraph lines; shipping routes, lighthouses, and seaports; and the locations of mining offices, veterinary stations, public works bureaus, and court houses, as well as forests.  These maps are the same as those included only within the 1912 and 1913 editions of the Guide-Annuaire de Madagascar et Dépendances.   It is worth noting that all editions of the Guide-Annuaire de Madagascar et Dépendances are extremely rare and almost never appear on the market, such that sourcing the maps in the present atlas would otherwise be close to impossible.   The looseleaf monochrome map of the colonial capital, the Plan de Tananarive (circa 1905), although lacking an imprint, was almost certainly published in Antananarivo, likely by the Service géographique de l’Etat Major.  It is based upon the groundbreaking survey of the city conducted around 1900 by Captain Charles Müller.  It shows all major roads, outlines large edifices and shades the urbanized area, as well as depicting the topography of the suburbs, while a key identifies 20 major sites.  All maps of the Tananarive from the early French colonial period are quite scarce, and while of a small scale, this is a high-quality plan.    The present atlas was made during an especially tense time in Madagascar history. During the Second Franco-Hova War, or the Second Madagascar Expedition (December 1894 – September 1895), a large French military force conquered Madagascar and deposed its ruler, Queen Ranavalona III.  On February 28, 1897, France formally made Madagascar and several nearby islands into the ‘Colonie de Madagascar et dépendances’.   While France assumed functional control over all Madagascar, in many quarters the colonial regime was very unpopular.  Secret nationalist societies were formed that aimed to one day overthrow French rule.  Of note, was the clandestine group Vy Vato Sakelika which was formed in 1913 by Hova Merina elites (the former ruling class of the island) whose activities the French found to be most unsettling.   Moreover, the outbreak of World War I (1914-8), while never directly affecting Madagascar caused great change on the island.  The small French military establish in Madagascar (which in 1914 numbered only 8,652 troops) was on guard for any offensive actions that might be launched by the Germans from their relatively nearby colony of Deutsch–Ostafrika (Tanganyika).  More consequentially, France drafted 45,863 Malagasy people to serve in the French army, mostly as part of the famous Tirailleurs malgaches, to fight in European theatres.   The original owner of the present atlas was likely engaged in reconnoitring remote parts of the island for vital military or intelligence reasons.   CONTENTS OF THE ATLAS:   *All maps printed in Tananarive (Antananarivo) by the Service géographique de l’Etat Major du groupe de l’Afrique Orientale.  Of the small format maps (# 1-16 and 18-20), they range in size from approximately from 21 x 15 cm and 32.5 x 22.5 cm.   Province de Diego-Suarez (single page).   Carte de la Province de Vohemar (single page).   Province de Maroantsetra (single page).   Province de Mandritsara (double page, folding).   Province de S.te Marie (double page, folding). This map depicts the island of Ste. Marie, which was the pirate capital of the world during the early 18th century.   Province de L’Angavo-Mangoro (double page, folding).   Province des Betsimisaraka du Centre (double page, folding).   Province de Betanimena (single page).   Province des Betsimisaraka du Sud (double page, folding).   Province de Mananjary (single page).   Province de Farafangana (larger, folding).   Cercle de Fort-Dauphin (larger, folding). Fort-Dauphin was the site of the first French settlement in Madagascar, which lasted from 1643 to 1674.   Cercle des Mahafalys (single page).   Province de Tulear (double page, folding).   Cercle de Morondava (single page).   Cercle de Maintierano (single page).   Provinces de Majunga et Mevatanana / Echelle : 1/1.000.000., bearing ‘Service géographique de l’Etat-Major’ imprint, folding, 42 x 49.5 cm.   Province des Majunga (double page, folding).   Cercle d’Analalava (double page, folding).   Province de Nossi-Be (folding).   Region Nord / Provinces de Diégo Saurez / d’Analalava / de Nossi-Be / Vohémar / Maroantsetra / Echelle : 1/1.000.000e., bearing ‘Service géographique de l’Etat-Major’ imprint, folding, 55.5 x 40.5 cm.   Region de Betsimisaraka / Provinces de Tamatave, Andevorante, Vatomandry, Mananjary / Echelle : 1/1.000.000., bearing ‘Service géographique de l’Etat-Major’ imprint, folding, irregular size, max. 67 x 29.5 cm.   Region Sud / Provinces de Betroka / Farafangana / Tuléar / Fort-Dauphin / Echelle du 1/1.000.000., bearing ‘Service géographique de l’Etat-Major’ imprint, folding, 51.5 x 58 cm.   Cecle de Morondava / Echelle : 1/1.000.000., bearing ‘Service géographique de l’Etat-Major’ imprint, folding, 51.5 x 58 cm.   Region de l’Imerina / Provinces de Tananarive / l’Itasy / du Vakinankaratra / Ambositra / Fianarantsoa / District aut.me d’Ankazobe / Echelle du 1/1.000.000e., bearing ‘Service géographique de l’Etat-Major’ imprint, folding, 53.5 x 37 cm.   Légende. [Legend to Maps # 17, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 above], bearing ‘Service géographique de l’Etat-Major’ imprint with the date ‘Novembre 1911’, folding, 53.5 x 37 cm.   Inserted Looseleaf: Plan de Tananarive. (30.5 x 24.5 cm).   References: N/A – Seemingly unique and unrecorded.