Recherches sur les Instruments, les Methodes et le Dessin Topographiques

Abstract

THE second volume of Col. Laussedat's exhaustive work on topography, which has just been published, deals with the art of metrophotography as developed in Europe generally and in France in particular; condensing the opinions and experiments of leading men of science, and epitomising their results. Attempts to adapt the principles of natural perspective to topography in France date from the middle of the last century. French methods were adopted by Germany in 1865; Italy followed suit in 1875; and in Austria, Maurer executed a military reconnaissance of some importance (which could have been attained in no other way) in 1887. There has gradually accumulated a large amount of scientific literature in Austria dealing with this subject; and in 1889 the Swiss engineer S. Simon had made a photographic survey of Jungfrau. Russia has been busy for many years in the Trans-Caucasus and in Persia, working on similar methods to those of Switzerland, whilst Greece, Brazil and Madagascar have all contributed results of scientific value towards the development of the art. Spain has been interested since 1863, and in 1899 an “excellent ouvrage“ was produced in Madrid by two engineers, Iriarte and Navarro, which seems to have been the most complete work on the subject up to the date of Laussedat.

Recherches sur les Instruments, les Methodes et le Dessin Topographiques.

By le Colonel A. Laussedat. Tome ii., part ii. Pp. 287. (Paris: Gauthier-Villars, 1903.)