Jacques-Eugène Armengaud


Jacques-Eugène Armengaud was a French industrial engineer, and professor of machine drawing at the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, particularly known as the original author of The practical draughtsman's book of industrial design, 1851.

Life and work

Born in Ostend, Armengaud graduated from the School of Arts and Crafts at Châlons-sur-Marne, and became professor of machine drawing at the Conservatoire national des arts et métiers in Paris.
Jacques-Eugene Armengaud and his brother Charles worked as patent agents and consulting engineers. Later Armengaud taught machine drawing at Conservatoire national des arts et métiers, and was partner in a machine factory. He specialized in the mechanical engineering and the design of machines, on which he wrote a series of books. His work made a significant contribution to the disclosure of new construction techniques in his days. He also edited the journal Publication industrielle des machines.
Armengaud died in Paris, 23 January 1891, at the age of 81.

Work

''The practical draughtsman's book,'' 1851

The Practical Draughtsman's Book of industrial design by Armengaud, Armengaud and Amouroux was originally published in French as Nouveau cours raisonné de dessin industriel in 1848. The subtitle of the work already explains, that it wants to offer a "complete course of mechanical, engineering, and architectural drawing." The study of those types of technical drawing, according to Armengaud, belong to the field of industrial design. In the preface Armengaud characterized this field:
Armengaud was convinced that the study of Industrial Design is an "indispensably necessary as the ordinary rudiments of learning. It ought to form an essential feature in the education of young persons for whatever profession or employment they may intend to select, as the great business of their lives; for without a knowledge of drawing, no scientific work, whether relating to Mechanics, Agriculture, or Manufactures, can be advantageously studied."
About the mission of the Practical Draughtsman’s Book of Industrial Design, Armengaud summarized:
One of the examples published in the 1860 edition was the design of the Nicholas Chain Bridge, designed by Charles Blacker Vignoles and pictured by John Cooke Bourne.

Legacy

The practical draughtsman's book of industrial design was published mid 19th century in a time that a new type of technical manuals for students emerged, which contained instructions for self-teaching for the drawing of technical objects. This work paved the way for a big expansion in the field drawing education in France, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Two popular and influential writers of these works in Britain were Robert Scott Burn and William S. Binns. According to Romans in this genre The practical draughtsman's book of industrial design, might have been the most influential publication. Later in the 19th century a whole range of manuals on technical drawings were published.
In the United States another notable art educator and author of drawing books was Walter Smith , who had significant influence of the American industrial art education.

Selected publications

;French publications
;Translated into English