904 - OGONYOK. 1910 [COMPLETE YEAR'S RUN]

OGONYOK. 1910 [COMPLETE YEAR'S RUN] Weekly illustrated literary and arts magazine. St Petersburg: S.M. Propper, 1899–1918. 1910: Nos. 1–52, lacking No. 20. Nos. 3 and 10 bound in twice. In a contemporary half-leather binding. Spine gilt-lettered with the title, year of publication and the supralibros ‘P.B.’. Rubbing to the spine, loss of leather to the corners of the boards, soiling and minor damage to the paper covering of the rear board and to the endpapers. Text block in good condition, with slight traces of damp along the fore-edge. Missing pages in individual issues have been replaced with high-quality modern facsimiles (Nos. 8, 10, 12, 13, 16, 17, 40, 42, 45 and 51). The magazine features photographic reports on the first international aviation competitions held in Russia, including performances by the aviators Popov and Baroness de Laroche. It also covers the major St Petersburg–Kiev–Moscow motor rally, whose participants included Prince Murat and Princess Dolgorukaya; the accession of George V (a cousin of Emperor Nicholas II) to the British throne and the grand mourning ceremonies in London, which brought together Europe's ruling elite on the eve of the First World War; and the official chronicle of the Russian Imperial family's life at the height of the Empire's stability, before the upheavals that were to follow. The volume also contains stories published during the lifetimes of A. Averchenko, Teffi, Sasha Chorny and Leonid Andreev, alongside works by poets of the new generation. Nos. 46 and 47 are devoted to the death and funeral of Leo Tolstoy at Astapovo and Yasnaya Polyana. The volume is presented in a bespoke dark green rigid box with magnetic closure and satin ribbon. Lined with emerald velour, red tissue paper and protective wrapping; two velvet lifting straps with hook-and-loop fastening allow the volume to be removed without handling. Accompanied by a handmade, one-of-a-kind USB drive (wooden body and case, USB-A and USB-C connectors), engraved with the 1910 'Огонекъ' logotype hand-highlighted in gold, with protective pouch. It contains a documentary archive: history of the magazine and the historical context of 1910; a table of contents of the volume compiled for this lot (the index announced in issue no. 52 being absent from this copy as well as from library copies); notes on provenance (Warsaw), binding, condition and conservation; over 300 pages of high-resolution scans (complete issues from public library holdings, illustrated covers, advertising supplements, and the original pages of leaves replaced by copies in the volume, including the portrait of the Emperor’s children in no. 45); thematic files (death of Tolstoy, the magazine’s owner, editor-in-chief and chief illustrator). Some of these documents are supplied in print in a paper folder. Upon the buyer’s request, we are pleased to provide a general condition report for the Lot described above. However, as we are not professional conservators or restorers, we strongly advise prospective buyers to conduct their own inspection or consult a specialist or restorer of their choice for a comprehensive professional assessment. Any condition descriptions provided in the catalogue or through any correspondence are for guidance only and should not be considered a substitute for a firsthand evaluation. NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD ‘AS IS’ IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GENERAL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF SALE PUBLISHED IN THE CATALOGUE.