File:Elizabeth of Russia's coronation album 07.jpg

English: ELIZABETH PETROVNA, Empress of Russia (1709-1761) -- Obstoiatel'noe Opisanie Torzhestvennykh Poriadkov Blagopoluchago Vshestviia v tsarstvuiushchii grad Moskvu i Sviashchenneishago Koronovaniia Imperatritsy Elizevet Petrovny. [Detailed Description of the Solemn Order of Entry into the Capital City of Moscow and Solemn Coronation of Empress Elizabeth]. St. Petersburg: Imperial Academy of Sciences, 1744.

2o (437 x 280 mm). Engraved title, aquatint portrait of Elizabeth by J. Stenglin after Louis Caravaque, and 49 engraved plates (16 double-page or folding, one mezzotint of fireworks) by Grigorii Kachalov and Ivan Sokolov. (A few plates torn and repaired). IMPERIAL PRESENTATION BINDING of contemporary mottled calf, covers with gilt roll-tool border of trefoils and lotus blossoms with cornerpieces of the Empress' cypher, the upper cover with large gilt centerpiece of the Empress' cypher in ribbon-tied garlands, the lower cover with the Imperial double-headed eagle, spine in 9 compartments gilt with alternating gilt coronation regalia and floral designs, edges gilt, "Buntpapier" endpapers (rubbing and light wear to covers and spine, spine ends repaired). Provenance: Moscow, Synodal Library ("Sinodal'naia Biblioteka" small ink stamp on title).

THE RARE ELIZABETH I CORONATION ALBUM IN RUSSIAN - "THE FINEST EXAMPLE OF RUSSIAN ENGRAVING IN THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH" (Rovinskii). Elizabeth Petrowna, Empress of Russia, came to power in late 1741 in a palace revolution. Her coronation festivities lasted from 28 February to the 25th April, 1742, with the actual coronation ceremony on March 28th. No expense was spared in the nearly two months of celebrations which were attended by representatives of every major European court, and Russian aristocracy. The coronation was commemorated in one of the most splended fete books and "has been called the most sumptuous Russian book of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries" (Fekula). Despite the date on the title, work continued until 1746 when editions in Russian, German, French and Latin were published simultaneously, under the supervision of N. Iu. Trubetskoi. The first Russian edition was printed in an edition of 600, but because of "certain defects" a further 50 were printed, and in 1745 a further 900 were printed. The present copy, as often, has plates 1-4 in SK's second variant with the engraver's name, and plate 5 in the first variant without Grimmel's name. Berlin 3096; Bitovt 1001; Fekula 2111; Obol'ianinov 1846; Rovinskii Portraits IV-31, Engravings II-949-952; SK 4789; Sopikov 7539.