[ATLAS]. DESNOS (Louis-Charles). Nouvel itinéraire général comprenant toutes les grandes routes et chemins de communication des provinces de France, des Isles Britanniques, de l'Espagne... Paris, Desnos, 1766. Small folio bound in half-fauwn speckled basane, spine with gilt ornaments on the nerves (Binding of the period). Decorated with a frontispiece-title, a table of maps, 39 maps, most of them folding, corresponding to the description in the table, namely: 17 maps for France, 6 maps for Spain, 6 maps for Italy, 6 maps for Germany and 4 maps for the British Isles. Complete with 41 engraved plates in good condition, most of them folding. This Nouvel itinéraire général provides detailed maps of European routes, with distances between post houses, and is a precious testimony to their usefulness to travellers, merchants and authorities. Louis-Charles Desnos (1725-1805) was one of the leading merchants and publishers of maps and atlases in eighteenth-century Paris. He worked at the Globe on rue Saint-Jacques, a flagship store for Parisian booksellers and publishers. He specialised in publishing postal atlases and road itineraries. His work reflects a desire to combine scientific precision, practicality and aesthetic quality, at a time when there was a strong demand for applied geography (travel, commerce, administration). Good condition Binding: Binding solid, but worn: boards rubbed, jaws partially split, caps torn off Inside pages: Very good overall condition, with no spotting or staining. All plates mitre-mounted Fresh colours Very rare tears without missing at some folds