Louis Charles Desnos

Louis Charles Desnos (1725–1805) was a French bookseller, engraver, and globe and instrument maker active in Paris during the mid- to late eighteenth century. He became a well-known dealer in maps, atlases, and scientific works, and was appointed Marchand Libraire Jure (sworn bookseller) to the king. Desnos frequently collaborated with contemporary cartographers such as Jean-Baptiste Bourguignon d’Anville and Didier Robert de Vaugondy, publishing their maps and atlases for a broader commercial market. His shop supplied maps, globes, and educational instruments to both scholars and the public.

Among his best-known productions were wall maps, pocket atlases, and globes designed for educational use, which combined practical geographic information with elegant engraving. He also issued popular works such as the Atlas Universel and a number of decorative maps that circulated widely in France and beyond. Desnos remained active in publishing and trade through the upheavals of the late eighteenth century, continuing his business into the Revolutionary era. He died in Paris in 1805, leaving a legacy as one of the key figures who helped bring eighteenth-century French cartography to a wider audience.