The Magazine :

LE TOUR DU MONDE, NOUVEAU JOURNAL DES VOYAGES, one of the first magazine of travelling, with pictures, is founded by E.CHARTON, in 1860, at HACHETTE editor.

it was done to report the travel diary of the famous explorators of these times:
Livingstone, Stanley, Burton, Saffray, Garnier, Brazza, Scott, Amundsen...

For the first time their travel relations would be illustrated with maps and wood engravings of the major drawers of the times:
E.Riou, G.Doré, Castelli, T.Weber, T.Taylor, G.Vuillier, J.Laurens, E.Bayard, D.Lancelot, Catenacci

The geographical context of 1850-1914 :

In the second half of the 18. century, LE TOUR DU MONDE is the most famous magazine of geographical adventure of this period heavy in world explorations:

- Before 1860, our planet maps still contained large "unexplored areas" or some country nerly un-traveled by europeans people; large amount of world population, complete civilizations was still without contact (or few) with us.

- After 1914, nearly all the planet surface was explored and well described. Knowing the whole geography of the world, we lost in the same time the apprehension of the unknown territory, the appeal of the adventure ansd discovery travel.

The "savages" had been locked in the history books, the "civilization" was finishing to flood everywhere, the primitives freedom was in walls... good by Far West... the relations between nations became worldwide...

The accounts of adventures turned to the economic development of new areas, to the scientific progress, and then later to the sportive feats: it was then no matter to explore the Andine range or tunknown thibet, but to cross them in bicycle, or to climb a summet by a new way.
The romantic geography desappeared in the modern world: with the easyness of transports, the exploits of the great traveler no more interrested the public. At this moment, Le TOUR du MONDE stopped by lack of readers.

Story of the serie :

The founder Edouard Thomas CHARTON (05/11/1807-27/02/1890, journalist, republican politician "Saint Simonien") had allready founded and was director of the "MAGASIN PITTORESQUE" sinced1833. A large range of public was aimed by this illustrated magazine, and especialy the young frenchmen.
In the preface of volume 1, Charton present the reasons of the publication of the TOUR DU MONDE.

Then the magazine was published evry week as a paper of 8 pages, and bound in a volume every 6 month (exept in 71, because of war)

Until 1890, in this volume a short digest " L'année géographique " informed the reader of the progress of the current expeditions through the world, untill the return of the travelers and their diary.

In 91, the editorial staff linked monthly to TOUR DU MONDE a complete issue of "Les Nouvelles géographiques"
In 1894, they attempt to boost again the magazineunder the label "Le tour du Monde, nouvelle série"

Then (1896 ?), a new publication called "A TRAVERS LE MONDE", for the current geographic news , is issue in parallel, in the same format that LE TOUR DU MONDE.
Now it may be found, bound by year volume.

But, at the century turn, nothing to do :
Then end of the great geographical expeditions, the extinction of the first subscribers, the loss of interest of the public for the travel in countries which are now colonies, and finaly the replacement of the artistic wood-engravings by photography, ... the subscriptions falled.

One said that the magazine last until 1914... (but this rare issue is practicaly impossible to get)

One said also that this magazine inspired Jule Verne exotic novels (one of the subscriber ?) or H. Pratt for the sources of the Corto Maltese adventures
(The novel "La balade de la mer salée" come directly from an article of "A travers le Monde", relating the rivalry between the world powers -germany, USA, UK- in the south pacific area)

The book collection :

The magazine was publihsed under different forms: biennal volumes, or softcovered (light blue cover), or hardbacked (dark green, red, brown cover), either large annual volume (red leather bound, with gold gilding ).

I am looking for the volumes of Le TOUR DU MONDE which are missing to me: especialy a lot of ones after 1895 (see page My Collection).

In the meantime, for old travel enthusiasts, I gathered on this website the summaries of the major part of the volumes of Le TOUR DU MONDE , (An Excel table is available to download), and some (around 20) selected travels reports, with their engravings (text and pictures are also downloadable)