Architectural drawing showing elevation, cross section, and plan for a "hirondellier militair," a military aviary for swallows used as messenger birds. 1 drawing : graphite with watercolor and ink.

TEXT:

(French):

Nota. L'hirondellier devant être facilement démontable, toutes les pièces de charpente au lieu d'être assemblées seront moisées. La partie hachurée de la coupe sera pleine. La vitrerie sera comprise dans toute la partie formant l'hirondellier proprement dit (2.80) et la couverture du dit où n'est que la partie formant lanterneau. Un tambour de 0m30 environ de profondeur sera menagé dans la partie indiquée au plan. Avec 2 portes de 0m60 environ formée de trillages en fil de fer et d'un chassis en fer.

(English):

Note. Because the aviary requires easy dismantling, all carpentry pieces must be braced rather than assembled [with nails]. The hatched parts on the cross-section are to be made of a single piece. Glass windows will be inserted in the component forming the aviary proper (2.80), and the roof thereof, only where the lantern-shaped part is. A ring with a height of approximately 0m30 will be placed at the location indicated on the schematic. Includes two doors of approximately 0m60 made of iron wire mesh and an iron frame.

Captions read (translated) from the top left, "ELÉVATION" (elevation), "COUPE" (section), "PLAN" (plan view) and "Echelle 0m02 p.m." (Scale 0.02m per meter).

[Translator's note: the original French word hirondellier has no direct translation but is transparently understood to mean "aviary for swallows" although the word has not been used with this meaning outside this context. It has been translated to aviary.]

Library of Congress[1]

1889

F. Meriy

Pre-1923 public domain in the United States. Artist's full name and lifespan could not be determined; cannot upload to Commons because this image has unknown copyright status in France.