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Alphonse Loubat

1799-06-15 – 1866-09-10

Portrait of Alphonse Loubat
Alphonse Loubat, a New York merchant born in France, planted a large vineyard of vinifera vines in Brooklyn in the 1820s and published a book, in both French and English, called The American Vine-Dresser's Guide (1827). Interesting chiefly as a late memorial to the futile belief that vinifera would do well in the American East after two hundred years of unbroken failure, it was, for some inexplicable reason, reprinted in 1872, when its views had long been discredited. Pinney, Thomas. A History of Wine in America: From the Beginnings to Prohibition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1989.Credit: Internet Archive Book Images

Life & Legacy

Alphonse Loubat (15 June 1799 – 10 September 1866) was a French inventor who developed improvements in tram and rail equipment, and helped develop tram lines in New York City and Paris.
Loubat was born in Sainte-Livrade-sur-Lot. He went to New York City in 1827 where he helped develop that city's first tramway in 1832. He returned to France and in 1852 developed the grooved rail, which greatly facilitated street railways and tramlines. Besides he planted wine in Brooklin and wrote on wine.
He died in Ville-d'Avray. Joseph Florimond Loubat was his son.

Occupation & Career

engineer, horsecar, entrepreneur, inventor

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Sources & Provenance

  1. Wikidata population candidate Q2839888 — wikidata View source

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