View source for Alain Manesson Mallet

{{Short description|French cartographer and engineer}}
[[Image:Allain Manesson Mallet 1683.png|thumb|right|Portrait of Mallet]]
'''Alain Manesson Mallet''' (1630–1706) was a French [[cartographer]] and [[engineer]]. He started his career as a soldier in the army of [[Louis XIV of France|Louis XIV]], became a Sergeant-Major in the artillery and an Inspector of Fortifications.  He also served under the King of Portugal, before returning to France, and his appointment to the court of Louis XIV.  His military engineering and mathematical background led to his position teaching mathematics at court.<ref>Kanas, Nick  (2007).  ''Star Maps – History, Artistry, and Cartography'', Berlin Heidelberg New York: Springer-Praxis.  pp. 197-199</ref>

His major publications were ''Description de L'Univers'' (1683) in 5 volumes, and ''Les Travaux de Mars ou l'Art de la Guerre'' (1684) in 3 volumes

His ''Description de L'Universe'' contains a wide variety of information, including star maps, maps of the ancient and modern world, and a synopsis of the customs, religion and government of the many nations included in his text.  It has been suggested that his background as a teacher led to his being concerned with entertaining his readers.  This concern manifested itself in the charming harbour scenes and rural landscapes that he included beneath his description of astronomical concepts and diagrams.  Mallet himself drew most of the figures that were engraved for this book.<ref>Mendillo, Michael (2005).  ''Celestial Images – Antiquarian Astronomical Charts and Maps from the Mendillo Collection, Boston'': University of Washington Press.  pp. 83-84</ref>

==References==
{{Commons category|Alain Manesson-Mallet}}
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
* {{Citation |publisher = Denys Thierry |publication-place = Paris |author = Allain Manesson Mallet |title = Description de l'univers |publication-date = 1683 }}
** [https://archive.org/stream/descriptiondelun01mall#page/n7/mode/2up v.1]
** [https://archive.org/stream/descriptiondelun02mall#page/n9/mode/2up v.2]: Asia
** [https://archive.org/stream/descriptiondelun03mall#page/n9/mode/2up v.3]: Africa
All Mallet maps and views from different editions (1683-1719) available at http://www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pritchett/00generallinks/mallet/

==Images==
<gallery>
File:Alsace map mallet vol4 plate45.png|Map from ''Description de L'Univers''.
File:MalletWar0048.jpg|Page from ''Les Travaux de Mars ou l'Art de la Guerre'' showing St. George Cathedral in Venice.
File:Manesson-Travaux-de-Mars 9684.tif|Page from ''Les Travaux de Mars ou l'Art de la Guerre'' showing the fortified town of [[Alburquerque, Badajoz|Alburquerque]].
File:View of Medina, 1685.jpg|View of [[Medina]].
File:Mallet Afrique Ancienne 1719 UTA.jpg|''Afrique Ancienne'', 1719
File:Map of Persia, 1719.jpg|Map of [[Iran|Persia]].
File:View of Persians, 1683.jpg|View of [[Persians]].
File:View of Anatolians, Description de L'Universe (Alain Manesson Mallet, 1683).jpg|View of [[Anatolian peoples|Anatolians]].
File:View of Egyptians, 1683.jpg|View of [[Egyptians]].
</gallery>

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Treatises on line: http://architectura.cesr.univ-tours.fr/Traite/Auteur/Manesson_Mallet.asp?param=en

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mallet}}
[[Category:French military engineers]]
[[Category:1630 births]]
[[Category:1706 deaths]]
[[Category:17th-century French cartographers]]
[[Category:18th-century French people]]


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