Le chemin de fer trans-Saherien - jonction coloniale entre l'Algerie et le Soudan. Etudes preliminaires du projet et rapport de mission avec cartes generale et geologique

Montpellier: Boehm & Fils, 1878. Paperback. vii, 371p., illustrated with a table and two folded maps (described below, in good shape), softbound in 9.5x6 inch plain printed grey wraps. Wretched copy, but complete; sewn signatures with original thread present and sound. Spine panel is broken up, revealing the signature folds (a trace of printed titling remains), the grey cover-leaf is chipped, torn, creased, bears an inked address; front blank fragmentary and covered with pencilled notes, half-title foxed and bears the reverse of a substantial presentation signed by Duponchel in old sepia nib, he inscribed opposite titlepage (without offset!), titlepage very edgeworn with lesser foxing. Despite the ruin of spine panel the textblock is holding well, milder edgewear throughout, expect numerous scattered pencillings in the text (minuscule marginalia, brackets, underlines), back cover in better shape. Both maps bound in at terminus: the pretty color-printed map ("Carte General") is 8.5x10 inches on heavy stock and bears just a little edgewear to wide blank margins. The bogglingly tall (32x8 inch) map, "Carte General du Trace", is in b&w unfolds in seven panels and like the other is on heavy stock, no damage. A poor copy, yet complete and quite wonderful.