[General map of the Russian Empire and Maps of Provinces engraved for "Brief Geography of the Russian Empire" by Ludwig Backmeister].
Skt. Peterburg, 1773
Set of early maps of the Russian Empire, comprising a general map and maps of provinces, engraved after Makhaev for a number of rarest editions of XVIII century.
These maps were specifically engraved for the second edition of Ludwig Bacmeister "Kratkaya Rossiyskoy imperii geografiya" [Brief Geography of the Russian Empire] (second edition accompanied by a pocket atlas, 1773). Its text was originally published in Geographical mesiatseslov [menology] in 1768, however the maps were supplied only to the second edition which was also amended and corrected. Nowadays the second edition is very rare: Worldcat locates only two copies: in Harvard University Library and Ohio State University Libraries. Its title page reads: "Some of the maps supplied to this publication are not new but originally belonged to a small atlas that was issued together with a pocket mesiatseslov [menology] about ten years ago".
Thus, according to our research twelve maps, which are present in our collection in the corrected version, were originally drawn and engraved by Makhaev for the Karmanniy calendar ego Imperatorskogo Vysochestva Gosudaria Velikogo Kniazia Pavla Petrovicha for the year 1761 [Pocket calendar for His Empirial Majesty […] Pavel Petrovich] (published in 1760). This extremely rare edition was compiled by Iakov Shtelin (1709 - 1785) specially for the five year old son of Catherine the Great. There is no consensus regarding the number of copies produced. Bibliographer and book collector Guberti (1818-96), who owned a copy of the calendar, suggests that his example was unique, as the calendar was printed exclusively for the future emperor. Svodnyy katalog, however, notes that the edition could have been printed in the number of up to 510 copies. The likelihood of the production of multiple copies is also confirmed by Shtelin's letter addressed to Kirill Razumovskiy, the president of the Academy of Arts and Sciences: "Academy will derive some profit from this. It [calendar] costs us 10 kopejki and we will sell it for 25 kopejki" (Lomonosov, M.V. Complete works, vol X., M.; L., 1957, p.861). In 1766 the general map underwent some corrections, for example the name "Камчатское море [Kamchatskoye sea]" was substituted with "Охотское море [Okhotskoe sea]", as shown in our example.
14 engraved maps on separate sheets (sheets size: 14 x 20.5, plate size of general map 10 x 16 cm, plate sizes of maps of provinces 9 x 11 cm), maps of provinces numbered 1 - 13, uncut.
These maps were specifically engraved for the second edition of Ludwig Bacmeister "Kratkaya Rossiyskoy imperii geografiya" [Brief Geography of the Russian Empire] (second edition accompanied by a pocket atlas, 1773). Its text was originally published in Geographical mesiatseslov [menology] in 1768, however the maps were supplied only to the second edition which was also amended and corrected. Nowadays the second edition is very rare: Worldcat locates only two copies: in Harvard University Library and Ohio State University Libraries. Its title page reads: "Some of the maps supplied to this publication are not new but originally belonged to a small atlas that was issued together with a pocket mesiatseslov [menology] about ten years ago".
Thus, according to our research twelve maps, which are present in our collection in the corrected version, were originally drawn and engraved by Makhaev for the Karmanniy calendar ego Imperatorskogo Vysochestva Gosudaria Velikogo Kniazia Pavla Petrovicha for the year 1761 [Pocket calendar for His Empirial Majesty […] Pavel Petrovich] (published in 1760). This extremely rare edition was compiled by Iakov Shtelin (1709 - 1785) specially for the five year old son of Catherine the Great. There is no consensus regarding the number of copies produced. Bibliographer and book collector Guberti (1818-96), who owned a copy of the calendar, suggests that his example was unique, as the calendar was printed exclusively for the future emperor. Svodnyy katalog, however, notes that the edition could have been printed in the number of up to 510 copies. The likelihood of the production of multiple copies is also confirmed by Shtelin's letter addressed to Kirill Razumovskiy, the president of the Academy of Arts and Sciences: "Academy will derive some profit from this. It [calendar] costs us 10 kopejki and we will sell it for 25 kopejki" (Lomonosov, M.V. Complete works, vol X., M.; L., 1957, p.861). In 1766 the general map underwent some corrections, for example the name "Камчатское море [Kamchatskoye sea]" was substituted with "Охотское море [Okhotskoe sea]", as shown in our example.
14 engraved maps on separate sheets (sheets size: 14 x 20.5, plate size of general map 10 x 16 cm, plate sizes of maps of provinces 9 x 11 cm), maps of provinces numbered 1 - 13, uncut.
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