ALEXANDER III (1845-94) - Description du Sacre et du Couronnement de leur Majeste's Impériales l' Empereur de Toutes les Russies, St. Petersburg, 1883, folio, coloured lithographed plates, preserving wrappers, with the EXCEPTIONALLY RARE limitation leaf.

ALEXANDER III (1845-94), Emperor of Russia - Description du Sacre et du Couronnement de leur Majeste's Impériales l' Empereur de Toutes les Russies. Alexander III et l' Impératrice Marie Féodorovna en l' année 1883. St. Petersburg: 1883. Large folio (660 x 510mm). Coloured lithographed title, 26 fine coloured lithographed plates after Simakow, Makowsky, Sokolow, Savitzky and others, illustrations in the text, some coloured lithographed, the text in French and printed in black, red and blue (some surface abrasion to one plate, one text leaf (pp.25/26) torn and with some surface abrasion causing loss, occasional light mainly marginal spotting). Re-cased preserving the original decorated paper wrappers, gilt edges (a small part lacking from the upper wrapper, later endpapers). Inserted at the front is the full-page EXCEPTIONALLY RARE coloured lithographed limitation presentation leaf, numbered "25", for the dedicatee of this copy "Mr Le Comte de Moy" (torn without significant loss, some marginal repairs). FIRST EDITION. The coronation album of Alexander III, illustrating the ceremonies and events in Moscow, was printed in a small but unrecorded limited edition for members of the Imperial family and foreign dignitaries who participated in the celebrations which took place on 15 May 1883, with a Russian language edition published simultaneously. At publication the book was never made available for sale and is accordingly VERY RARE. Provenance: This copy was purchased by the vendor's mother at Christie's auction of "Valuable Russian Books and Manuscripts" on 30 November 2006, lot 48, for £31,200, including the buyer's premium. A copy of the Christie's auction catalogue is included with the lot. Bobins 3, 990; Butsev 1902; Fekula 2112: "... very rare ..."; Lipperheide Sk11.