Visions of La Geographie Humaine in twentieth-century France

In the first half of the twentieth century French academic geography did not present a unified front: The "outsiders" jean Brunhes and Pierre Deffontaines offered a vision of la geographie humaine that did not conform to the one proclaimed by Vidal de La Blache and his disciples. After sketching the careers of Brunhes and Deffontaines, this essay explores the network of connections between the academic editor Deffontaines and the contributors to the Geographie Humaine series published by Gaston Gallimard. As committed Christians, Brunhes and Deffontaines emphasized the realm of ideas, values, and decision making, as well as their tangible realization and visual expression in cultural landscapes. Both men saw the discipline of geography as a means of celebrating the diversity of the world and the popularization of geography as a way of promoting international understanding and tolerance. Their inclusivity and interaction with other academic disciplines are relevant to current practitioners of cultural geography.