Photographic album.

A tour from Kyiv. Unusual set of amateur photographic views of Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine and Russia.

This album collects amateur photographs with views of major sites from Russia and Eastern Europe together with charming snapshots of daily life. Rarely do we have examples of such great spontaneity in photographs from the time. In the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century the vast majority of photographs were staged by local professionals who would then sell these as post card momentos to visiting tourists. In the case of this set of images, it is the traveller who, fascinated by his surroundings, records his impressions of the localities he sees through the lens of his own camera.

The album records the traveller's journey through important centres and sites, starting from Kyiv (with many pilgrims and views of holy places such as the celebrated Lavra), continuing through Krackow, Tiflis (Tbilisi), Moscow, Saint Petersburg, as well as Batumi, Poti and Odessa on the Black Sea.

Oblong folio (31.5 x 44 cm). Thirty-five gelatin silver prints (14.5 x 21 cm), including 10 views of Kyiv, 3 of Moscow, 3 of St. Petersburg, 3 of Tiflis and 2 of Odessa. Titles in ink on prints, yellow moiree silk paste downs. Half black morocco over pebble-grain cloth, spine in five compartments, traces of paper label to spine; rubbed, corners slightly bumped.