Very Rare Maps of Parts of Europe-Raffelsperger-1843

These maps are part of ‘General-Karte von Europa mit Klein-Asien und dem norlichen Afrika.’, after and directed by Franz Raffelsperger, published by J. Bermann und Sohn, Vienna 1843. This is considered the first typometric overview map of Europe, consisting of 26 parts. Very rare.

Engravers: F. Rumpold and H. Kahl.

Medium: Relief printing in colours on wove (vellin) paper.

Typometry was a short-lived relief printing technique developed during the 18th and 19th centuries to compose maps, drawings and other designs, using moveable type to reproduce words, lineworks and map symbols. It was not until 1839 in Vienna that the Austrian geographer Franz Raffelsperger (1793–1861), having prefected his own printing methods without knowing the work of his predecessors, produced a typometric postal card of the Austrian Empire of unprecedented quality. This postal card was rewarded with the golden medal at the industrial exhibition that took place that year in Vienna, and the next year he opened his own typometric press in that city. Raffelsperger produced moveable type characters that allowed him to print every possible feature in a map, including geographic and topographic features, mathematical and geometric symbols, architectural landmarks and even plants and animals. He also designed custom symbols for cities, forests and other elements, that he printed in five different text sizes and in several languages. He then combined these this typometric technique with polychromy, so he could print moveable type characters for each geographical feature of the map with their very own precise colour hue. The different available sizes of his printing components allowed him to print his maps in several sizes without losing quality, and that at a very reduced cost. (source: wikipedia)