Details
CATHERINE the Great, Empress of Russia (1762-1796). -- [STÄLIN, Jacob (1709-1785)]. Description d'une Illumination et d'un feu d'artifice allegoriques, données le 25 Janvier 1765. jour que... Catherine II. Imperatrice de toutes les Russies... a daigne honorer de son... presence le nouvel hotel de... Mr. le Comte Alexis Grigoriewitz d'Orloff. St.Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Science, 1765.
4° (244 x 185mm.). Collation: )(4 (Russian title, verso blank; 6pp. text) ):(4 (German title, verso blank; 6 pp. text) *4 (French title, verso blank; 6 pp. text). Parallel titles and text. Engraved headpiece by Zadubskii and Firsov after Stälin repeated above the start of each text, 2 double-page plates by P. d. Melissino after Stälin (the first plate with small repair to lower fold and lower margin shaved, affecting two characters, the second plate with neat repair in image area). Modern morocco-backed marbled boards, morocco title-piece on upper cover.
VERY RARE. The bibliographies do not mention this issue with the text in three languages. They do record issues with the text in a single language: these also are rare (i.e. 1 copy with Russian text; 1 with German; 3 with French). The firework display, in the presence of Catherine and her son, Grand Duke Paul Petrowitz, was set up on the frozen river Neva in front of the newly erected palace of Count Orloff, Catherine's lover. The display, designed by the German Überfeurwerker Stälin and executed by the Italian engineer Pietro di Melissino, was in three parts: an illumination (pictured on the headpiece) followed by two displays (shown on the plates). Svodnyi katalog 8478 (issue with Russian text); Sopikov/Rogozhin 7520; Rovinskii [Fireworks] pp. 280-284; Filov et al 2740 (German text) and 2745 (French text).
4° (244 x 185mm.). Collation: )(4 (Russian title, verso blank; 6pp. text) ):(4 (German title, verso blank; 6 pp. text) *4 (French title, verso blank; 6 pp. text). Parallel titles and text. Engraved headpiece by Zadubskii and Firsov after Stälin repeated above the start of each text, 2 double-page plates by P. d. Melissino after Stälin (the first plate with small repair to lower fold and lower margin shaved, affecting two characters, the second plate with neat repair in image area). Modern morocco-backed marbled boards, morocco title-piece on upper cover.
VERY RARE. The bibliographies do not mention this issue with the text in three languages. They do record issues with the text in a single language: these also are rare (i.e. 1 copy with Russian text; 1 with German; 3 with French). The firework display, in the presence of Catherine and her son, Grand Duke Paul Petrowitz, was set up on the frozen river Neva in front of the newly erected palace of Count Orloff, Catherine's lover. The display, designed by the German Überfeurwerker Stälin and executed by the Italian engineer Pietro di Melissino, was in three parts: an illumination (pictured on the headpiece) followed by two displays (shown on the plates). Svodnyi katalog 8478 (issue with Russian text); Sopikov/Rogozhin 7520; Rovinskii [Fireworks] pp. 280-284; Filov et al 2740 (German text) and 2745 (French text).