French heavy artillery drawings and manuscripts, 1762-1792.

French heavy artillery drawings and manuscripts, 1762-1792.

Artillerie dessins

France 1762-1792

5 folders (approximately 160 items) : illustrations (some color)

MSS L2015F174ff [Bound]

Arranged in five folders, the collection contains drafts, technical drawings, working sketches, diagrams, watercolor drawing, tables, engravings derived from original drawings, and related manuscript memoranda and notes. Approximately sixty watercolor drawings are present, chiefly depicting mortars and related artillery equipment. Folder one contains drawings and plans of cannon, including naval guns and howitzers, with measurements and caliber specifications. Several images appear to have been prepared as illustrations for publication, including four dated 1786, and the folder also contains two images of British naval guns. Folder two consists primarily of mortar plates depicting mortar types, mounting methods, and construction materials for naval and coastal defense use. Folder three contains measurement tables for cannon and mortars, including dimensions, projectile specifications, and related manufacturing data. Folder four includes views and drawings of the Toulon Arsenal foundry complex, where bronze cannon were produced for the French navy. Folder five contains drawings of gun mounts and platforms for mortars, howitzers, and cannon, including iron and pivot-mounted systems. Represented artillery types include naval and siege cannon, mortars, howitzers, carronades, gun carriages, proving instruments, and entrenching tools. Cannon calibers range from 6- to 36-pounders and include both short- and long-barreled forms; mortars range from 10- to 12-inch calibers and include several construction types.

See also MSS L2018F34f as supplemental collection.

Antoine de Sartine (1729-1801) and Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de Castries (1727-1801), served successively as French secretaries of state for the navy during the late eighteenth century. Under their administrations, the French navy and its supporting arsenals underwent substantial reorganization and modernization during the era of the American Revolution, including reforms associated with artillery production, naval infrastructure, and the Toulon Arsenal.

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