The publication of the multi-volume Description de l'Égypte began in 1809 under the editorial guidance of Edme-François Jomard. This massive documentation project resulted from the French military campaign in Egypt and Syria led by Napoleon Bonaparte. It solidified Jomard's position as a central figure in nineteenth-century French scientific research, cartography, and the burgeoning field of Egyptology.
Academic Foundation and Egyptian Commission
Born in 1777 in Versailles, Jomard received his education at the Collège des Quatre-Nations, the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, and the École polytechnique. His early career included participation in the French expedition to Egypt, where he became a member of the Institut d'Egypte. Following this period, he supervised an educational mission to France for students sent by Muhammad Ali of Egypt.
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In 1828, Jomard assumed the role of curator for the geographical collections at the Bibliothèque nationale de France. His tenure emphasized the professionalization of map archives. He initiated the publication of Monuments de la géographie between 1842 and 1862, a collection of 30 facsimiles ranging from the Hereford Mappa Mundi to early 16th-century maps of the Americas. The work aimed to trace the evolution of geographical science.
Societies and Geographical Exploration
Jomard acted as a founding member of the Société de Géographie in Paris. Through this organization, he influenced the study of indigenous American sites such as Palenque and the Yucatán Peninsula. He also managed the administration of a 10,000 Franc prize awarded to René Caillié for reaching Timbuktu. Jomard edited Caillié's travel accounts, which were subsequently published in 1830.
Fast facts
- Born: 1777, Versailles
- Died: 1862, Paris
- Occupations: Engineer, librarian, geographer, Egyptologist
- Primary Employer: Bibliothèque nationale de France
- Key Publication: Description de l'Égypte
- Notable Membership: Société de Géographie
- Honours: Commander of the Legion of Honour
- Burial Site: Père Lachaise Cemetery
Questions readers ask
What was the purpose of the Monuments de la géographie?
It served to archive and publish facsimiles of early maps to demonstrate the progress of geographical knowledge.
What roles did Jomard hold in his professional life?
He worked as an engineer, librarian, geographer, Egyptologist, orientalist, cartographer, and archaeologist.
Achievements
- Pour le Mérite for Sciences and Arts order
- Commander of the Legion of Honour
- Recorded as archaeologist, anthropologist and Egyptologist
