Biography
Théophile-Jean Delaye (1896-1970) was an artist and military topographer recognized as one of the first cartographers of modern Morocco. He left behind a significant pictorial oeuvre and illustrated numerous works on Morocco, the French Alps and Provence.
Born in 1896 in the Drôme, Delaye joined the Chasseurs Alpins at the start of the First World War and ended the war as a lieutenant after training at Saint-Cyr. In 1922, he was posted to North Africa, first to Tunisia, then to Morocco in 1924, where he became head of the Topographical Section of the Geographical Service of Morocco in 1932. He did not leave Morocco until 1960, where he was recognized for his first geographical maps of the country and for his pioneering use of aerial photography.
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Between the 1930s and 1940s, Delaye collaborated with Éditions Arthaud to illustrate works on Morocco and the Alps in the "Les Beaux pays" collection. After the Second World War, he retired to Rabat and devoted himself to the tourist development of Morocco, contributing to the creation of the Toubkal Natural Park and producing numerous tourist maps. He was also editor-in-chief of the Revue de géographie marocaine and president of the Alpine Club of Morocco.
Upon his return to France in 1960, he settled in Saint-Donat in the Drôme, where he participated in the creation of the Jean-Sébastien Bach Festival. He died there in 1970. The Association Les Amis de Théophile-Jean Delaye, founded in 2000, works to preserve and promote his work. In 2011, a monographic exhibition was dedicated to him in Rabat, and in September 2022, an exhibition entitled "From the map to the landscape, Théophile-Jean Delaye in Morocco" will be organized at the Villa Majorelle in Marrakech.
Between November 2022 and February 2023, the Valence museum will dedicate a temporary exhibition to him entitled “Théophile-Jean Delaye, A 20th Century Surveyor”.
Théophile-Jean Delaye is recognized for his pioneering role in the cartography of Morocco and his lasting impact on the geographical and tourist representation of the region. His artistic work, which combines scientific rigor and artistic sensitivity, has left an indelible mark on the history of art and topography. His contributions are celebrated through dedicated exhibitions and the publication of books on his work.
His legacy is preserved by the Association Les Amis de Théophile-Jean Delaye, and his achievements continue to be recognized by international exhibitions.
