This atlas of 100 plates containing roughly 800 individual images, with accompanying text, was both a comprehensive atlas of then-known prehistoric artifact types and an attempt at their classification. Until 1902 the scientific establishment rejected the authenticity of prehistoric cave paintings. In the 1903 second edition, the work was revised and expanded to 105 plates by Adrien de Mortillet to include recent discoveries on cave paintings, the legitimacy of which had been accepted in 1902 by Emil Cartailhac and other authorities.

Digital facsimile of the 1881 edition from the Internet Archive at this link; facsimile of the 1903 edition from Google Books at this link.