The People of Gibraltar
1808 - Atlas and Tableau - Only Place to be so Honoured 

In 1807 a large three volume work was compiled – anonymously as far as I can make out – for the use of a French minister – Jean Francois Bourgoing. Printed originally in Paris, the edition that I have read is dated 1808 and was published in London.


Despite its name – Atlas pour servir au Tableau de L’ Espagne Moderne - it consists mainly of more or less impenetrable text. It only includes two maps – one of Madrid and another of Spain - and precious few “tableau”. 

Curiously for a book that was supposed to be about Spain it includes two engravings referring to Gibraltar – the only place to be so honoured – a short description of the Rock and a lengthy discussion on the Great Siege of Gibraltar. (See LINK)  Below are the two engravings.



Finally, a rather nice detail. The volumes from which the above were digitally copied apparently belonged to Pascual de Gayangos, a Spanish intellectual and one of the most important Arabists of the 19th century. I have often quoted him in some of my essays on Moorish Gibraltar. (See LINK