Exercice sur les fortifications - Volume of plates: - Lot 266

Exercice sur les fortifications - Volume of plates: École du génie de Mézières 1768, work in two parts. 1st part of 13 handwritten fold-out plates, drawn in pen and ink, and some watercolored, concerning the study and construction of fortifications. 2nd part of 5 handwritten fold-out plates, drawn in pen and ink, and some watercolored, concerning exercises on attacking and defending fortifications. Cardboard binding covered with salvaged parchment, probably religious; 36 x 25.5 cm. Eighteenth century, 1768. Very good condition. A school founded in 1748, where 542 engineers were trained, it was transferred to Metz in 1793, before being abolished in 1794. In 1807, it merged with the Châlons artillery school to become the École d'application de l'artillerie et du génie... MONGE, who had been a professor there, drew heavily on the methods used at the engineering school to develop the teaching of what was to become the polytechnic school. Many important figures were students at this school: Alexandre BERTHIER, class of 1766; Prosper MONGE, class of 1767; Lazare CARNOT, class of 1771 and many others.