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Beketov Platon Petrovich, publisher. Pantheon
Rossiiskikh avtorov [Pantheon of the Russian authors]. Text by N.M.
Karamzin. Pt. I (all published). Edition by Platon Beketov. Moscow,
Semen Selivanovskii, 1801. Engraved a title-page, a bastard-title and
engraved frontispiece. Text on 40 p.p., collection of portraits of 20
Russians, celebrated for their heroic biographies, engraved on copper
by N. Sokolov and I. Rozonov. Format: 32x20 cm. Contemporary fine
French red morocco, richly gilt on both covers and borders from the
inside, all edges gilt. Very fine copy! Provenance: Count Gr. S.
Stroganoff (bookplate).
By the way, dublure (gilded or bandaged ornamental borders along
perimeter of the inner side of cap) in the early Middle Ages was used
in Islamic countries and in XV and XVI centuries in Hungary and Italy.
From XVII to XIX centuries, such binding element was used in France
for decoration of especially valuable issues for bibliophiles.
Platon
Petrovich Beketov (1761-1836) seems to be one of the most prominent
Russian iconographers and publishers, to say nothing of N. I. Novikov.
He was born in Simbirsk, studied in Kazan together with his cousin
fable writer Dmitriev, then he was admitted to famous Chadin's
boarding school in Moscow, where Beketov's classmate was Karamzin, who
also was his far relative. Having served for a short period in the
Guard, since 1798, Beketov settled in Moscow, where he fully devoted
himself to his passion to collect and publish portraits and books. In
1801, he started his own printing house, which was referred to as the
best one in Moscow. But in a short time before, he printed the
Pantheon of Russian Authors with Semen Selivanovskiy, who took on
lease the Senate printing house. The fonts and printing quality of
Selivanovskiy's printing house were referred to as the standard all
over Russia. Nevertheless, they naturally had to work hard on word
casting and engraving boards. After his failure to issue the first
part of the Pantheon, in the same year, Beketov started his own word
casting and printing house with the best quality in Moscow. In 1812,
during the invasion of world Antichrist Napoleon, the house and
printing works of Platon Petrovich were burnt by the famous fire of
Moscow. Fire destroyed also the unsold copies of the first part, which
were kept in the wing of his estate. Today it is rarity, but in such
binding and such good condition it is the greatest rarity!
Reference literature:
1. Smirnov-Sokol’skii, Biblioteka, vol. I, №520.
2. N.V. Solovyov’s antique-shop. Catalogue №105 «Livres Rares», №55,
75 roubles (very rare!).
3.V. Sopikov, №5066.
4. N. Obol’yaninov, «Russian Illustrated Books», №2005.
5. V.A. Vereshcagin «Russian Illustrated Books», №45. |
