Rouen
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Rouen. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
roo-ON', a city of France. It was formerly the capital of Normandy. It is situated on the Seine about two-thirds of the way from Paris to Havre. It is now an important cotton-manufacturing center, termed sometimes the "Manchester of France." It also carries on an extensive trade in Bordeaux wines. The venerable cathedral of Notre Dame , built in 1207-80, is noted for an imposing front surmounted by lofty towers. There are exquisite wood carvings, fine sculpture, and beautiful rose windows. The porch of the church of Saint Maclou is one of the most beautiful bits of architecture in France. The openings in the stone work are shaped like tongues of flame. The church of St. Ouen, dating from 1318, surpasses even the cathedral in size and beauty of style. The front, or facade as it is called in architecture, contains three great portals adorned with numerous statues and reliefs. A rose window above the central portal is one of the finest specimens of stained glass known. The walls contain an unusually large number of windows, 135 in all. The stained glass of which they are constructed is celebrated for beauty and quality. Other buildings of importance are the city hall and the palace of justice. The city belfry, or the tower of the great bell, was erected in 1389. The city possesses a large library, a museum of paintings, and several important collections of antiquities. The city derives no little interest from its connection with the life of Joan of Arc. A relic of the citadel in which she was tried for witchcraft still stands. An insignificant fountain occupies the spot in the square where she was burned at the stake in 1431. Population, 120,000. See Joan Of Arc 2026 Editor's Note: By way of comparison, Rouen today has about 110,000 in the city and some 500,000 in its metro area, roughly matching the 120,000 this article reports. (Ed: BR 2026-07-09)
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a city of France, capital of Inférieure, the department of Seineformerly of the province of Normandy, on the Seine, 44 miles from its mouth, and 86 miles N. W. of Paris. It is situate on the right bank of the Seine, in a fertile, pleasant, and varied country. The streets, though in general straight, are narrow and dirty, and some of the houses are of wood. The most agreeable part of the town is that which adjoins the Seine. The public buildings of interest are, the cathedral, containing many old monuments, and one of the finest specimens of Gothic architecture in France; the Church of St. Ouen, likewise fine Gothic building, situate a nearly in the center of the town; and that of St. Maclou, considered a masterpiece of its kind. There are two bridges over the Seine, one of stone, another of iron, connecting the town with the suburb of St. Sever; also various literary societies and schools, an academy of belles-lettres, a society of agriculture and the arts, a central school, classes for medicine and surgery, a navigation and drawing school, ol, together with a public library, library, a collection of paintings and natural history and a botanical garden. Manufactures cotton goods, woolens, linens, iron ware, paper, hats, pottery, wax, cloth, and sugar refineries. Dyeing, both of woolens and cotton, is also conducted with care and success. Rouen has frequently been taken and retaken. In 1419 it was taken by Henry V., and Joan of Arc was, in 1431, burned here. A statue to her memory has been erected on the spot. It is the birthplace of the two Corneilles, and of Fontenelle and Boieldieu. Pop. about 120,000.