Battlefields of the World War • Maps & Panorama Plates • 1921 • Oxford
New York: Oxford University Press, 1921.
A VISUAL ATLAS OF THE GREAT WAR—MAPS AND PANORAMAS FROM THE WESTERN AND ITALIAN FRONTS.
A striking cartographic and photographic record of World War I battlefields, issued shortly after the conflict by geographer Douglas Wilson Johnson. Combining large-scale maps with panoramic photographic plates, this set presents both the strategic and physical realities of the war’s most contested landscapes, from the Somme and Verdun to the Isonzo and Trentino regions.
Designed as both a teaching and analytical tool, the work reflects early 20th-century efforts to interpret modern warfare through terrain, elevation, and spatial relationships—bridging military history and geographic science.
DETAILS:
+++ Eleven maps and photographic panorama plates, loose as issued
+++ Housed in original slipcase with printed spine label
+++ Maps vary in size from approx. 13 x 13 inches to 29 x 23 inches
+++ Panorama plates approx. 25 x 7.5 inches
+++ Combination of cartographic diagrams and photographic battlefield views
CONTENT HIGHLIGHTS:
+++ Major Western Front battlefields: Somme, Verdun, Marne, Flanders, Lorraine
+++ Italian Front coverage: Isonzo River, Carso Plateau, Asiago, Trentino
+++ Block diagrams illustrating terrain and elevation features
+++ Panoramic battlefield photography, including shell-damaged landscapes
+++ Integration of geographic analysis with military history
CONDITION: Very Good. Maps and plates clean with mild, even age-toning. No flaws noted to individual sheets. Slipcase solid with moderate hand-soiling and expected handling wear. A well-preserved and complete example.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT —
Published in the immediate postwar period, Johnson’s work reflects the growing importance of geography in understanding modern warfare. The First World War demonstrated how terrain—ridges, rivers, plateaus—shaped strategy and outcomes, and this atlas translates those lessons into visual form. Works such as this were used in both academic and military settings, contributing to the formal study of battlefield geography in the early 20th century.
Subjects: World War I, battlefield maps, military cartography, Western Front, Italian Front, Verdun, Somme, Isonzo, historical geography, panorama photography, military history, 20th-century atlases.
Item #20475
Price: $45.00
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