Montmartre Optical Telegraph – Saint-Pierre Church Engraving 1829 Paris France

Description

MONTMARTRE AND THE CHAPPE OPTICAL TELEGRAPH – PARIS, 1829

An original engraving published in London in 1829, depicting the Church of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre surmounted by the remarkable Chappe optical telegraph.

This historic view documents an important episode in the early history of telecommunications. Installed on the eastern section of Saint-Pierre de Montmartre in 1794, the Montmartre telegraph formed the first relay station on the Paris–Lille line, France’s pioneering optical telegraph route.

Before the development of the electric telegraph, Claude Chappe’s system transmitted coded government and military messages through a network of visible articulated signals. The characteristic semaphore mechanism can be clearly seen at the top of the tower in this engraving.

The composition also offers a fascinating view of Montmartre before the construction of the Sacré-Cœur. The district still appears as a rural village, with grazing animals surrounding the historic church and only a few buildings visible in the background.

Printed title: “Église de Mont Martre”

Drawn after E. Nash under the direction of A. Pugin, engraved by Frederick James Havell and published in London by Robert Jennings in 1829.

Dimensions:
– Complete sheet: 19.8 × 13 cm
– Engraved image: 13.3 × 9 cm

Antique condition with light age-related toning and minor marks. Please examine the photographs carefully, as they form an integral part of the description.

A particularly appealing historical image combining early telecommunications, Parisian history and the rural landscape of nineteenth-century Montmartre.