Atlas photographique de la lune by Loewy and Puiseux, a French atlas of the moon, is the largest book in the Archives and Special Collections. It is 83 cm by 63 cm ( 33 in. by 25 in.). This is a big book.
The images of the moon were photographed through the Observatory of Paris’ telescope to produce negatives that were 180 mm (7 in.) in diameter. These images were enlarged by 8 to 15 times to produce 572 mm by 458 mm (22 in. by 18 in.) photogravure plates for the atlas.
The images in the atlas were published in 12 installments (fascicles) of 6 plates each, except the first which was 5 plates. The first installment was published in 1896, and the twelfth in 1910. Since this book was released in installments, complete copies are rare. The copy in the Chilson Collection appears to be complete or almost complete.
Information from Parr, Martin and Gerry Badger. The Photobook: A History. Volume 1. New York: Phaidon Press, 2004, Page 54.
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