Our Notes & References
Celebrating the Franco-Russian alliance: a presentation copy for the French President Felix Faure, in a remarkable binding.
Very rare: we could not trace any copies at auctions worldwide; the only library copy we could find is at the Russian State Library in Moscow. Apparently no copy outside Russia.
Tsar Nicholas II’s visit to France in October 1896 was an important event, and as such it was celebrated with various publications and gifts, including this charming book here presented in a very unusual binding using three quality moroccos with the three colours of the Russian flag.
Consolidating the Russo-French military and political alliance during his visit, the tsar laid the foundation stone of the bridge over the Seine, named after his father Alexander III (1845-94). Felix Faure, the President of the French Republic would pay an official visit to Russia in less than a year, in August 11-14, 1897 and would also attend the ceremony of the foundation of the Troitskii bridge to commemorate the friendship between both countries.
The choice of this particular book for the French president was also symbolic and also related to Nicholas’ father: in 1878, the heir to the Russian throne, the future Emperor Alexander III, became the patron and chairman of the Committee for the Establishment of the Voluntary Fleet. In view of the threat of war, the Imperial Society for the Promotion of Russian Merchant Fleet [Obshchestvo dlia sodeistviia russkomu torgovomu morekhodstvu] launched the initiative to raise public donations for the purchase of the Voluntary Fleet’s fast ships, which, once armed, could be used in wartime.
Andrei Nos (1842-1910), chairman of the board of the Society, describes in detail the history and the main activities of his society, illustrating his publication with portraits of many distinguished members of the Society, and the photographs of some of the major cruisers of the fleet, including Rossiia [Russia], Peterburg [Petersburg], Moskva [Moscow], Iaroslavl and Vladivostok — most of them were named after the Russian cities which donated the largest sums on the construction of the vessels. This work was published as a special issue (#40) of the Society’s periodical.
Provenance
Felix Faure (1841-99, the 6th president of the Third Republic in 1895-99; binding and by descent).
Bibliography
Evgenii Tolmachev, “Sozdaniie dobrovolnogo flota” // Aleksandr III i ego vremia, Moskva, Terra, 2007.
Physical Description
Octavo (22.5 x 16 cm). [8] title, dedication and preface,and 98 pp., with 11 phototype plates.
Binding
Full beige, blue and red morocco, lettering in French in gilt on upper board, smooth spine with gilt fillets, white moiré endpapers.
Condition
A bit soiled and slightly darkened, light staining on lower board; light foxing on title, the odd minor spot otherwise nicely fresh internally.
![Image for [ROMANOVS] Childhood, Education and Young Years of the Russian Tsars. First edition, in the original Russian. Skt. Peterburg, 1914. #2](https://www.pyrarebooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/314_1-300x400.jpg)