EXTRAORDINARY GLASS NEGATIVE IMAGES OF THE RUSSIAN IMPERIAL FAMILY VOEIKOV (VOYEIKOV) (Vladimir Nikolaevich, 1868-1947, Russian General, Commandant, 1913-1917, of the Alexander Palace, Tsarskoe Selo, Nicholas II's favourite residence, and Head of Nicholas II's suite at the time of the abdication at Mogilev, 1st March 1917)

Unique Archive of images, (of which 73 have glass negatives, 1 a celluloid negative, and 38 the corresponding prints made c. 1936), relating to Nicholas II and his family, and to the Tsar at the war front, 1914-1917, together with the rare first edition in Russian of Voeikov's memoirs, 'With and Without the Tsars', important for many insights on court life and for the events surrounding the abdication, 8vo., pp. 434 and 8 plates, Oy. Littera, Helsinki, 1936, in all 77 images, c. 1890 - the negatives are generally in good condition, apart from a few ragged edges not affecting the image and, rarely, a small flaw. In Box 1, four, including that of the striking portrait bust of Tsesarevich Alexei, have cracks but are carefully joined with transparent tape, and the cracks are such that they could easily be edited out on a digital print

The images were apparently photographed from items in Voeikov's personal album of photos of the Imperial family and military scenes in Galicia and the Caucasus, and of a few cuttings, with a view to publication in his memoirs. In fact of those present, only one was used in his book. Many negatives have captions or fragments of surrounding text in Russian. The prints are uniformly backed on to stout card, but without the captions, so that the negatives are valuable for identification. Several cards have the stamp of Daniel Nyblin, Helsingfors (Helsinki), who no doubt made all the prints. Voeikov has wrapped and numbered many of the negatives in brown paper, some from a shop in Brussels, on which he has written brief identifications in Russian. For Nicholas II he uses the initial 'G[osudar]', 'His Majesty'. These and any printed captions have contributed to the checklist below, along with identifications from a previous owner, all suitable as a permanent catalogue. The checklist shows the present numbering in four boxes; a second number means a number supplied by Voeikov. His numbers 1-100 are mostly at or round St Petersburg, higher numbers at the war front.
For the plates in his book, Voeikov selected certain very special manuscript items, such as the signed note from Nicholas, (Box 1, No. 19), and a remarkable signed menu of 1889 which includes 'Alix de Hesse', five years before her wedding to Nicholas II.

CHECKLIST

Box 1

26 Glass Negatives and 1 Celluloid Negative, no prints:

1. Tsesarevich Alexei(1904-1918) surrounded by generals, one of whom is pointing to a tortoise on the ground. 3½" x 4¾".
2. Tsesarevich Alexei as a child aged about two, standing by a wooden x-shaped folding chair. From a cabinet photo by Gan & Co., Tsarskoe Selo. 5¾" x 4".
3. General Kornilov (Lavr Georgievich, 1870-1918; 'the man with the lion's heart'; prisoner of war 1915-1916 but escaped, commander-in-chief, August 1917). From a striking oval photo cut round and held at the edges by drawing pins. 5¾" x 4".
4. Imperial children sitting on a hillock. Caption: 'The Most August children of His Imperial Majesty'. Reference no. 14 visible near left margin. [This engaging picture was taken in Finland when the family came ashore from the imperial yacht. See Carol Townend, 'Royal Russia', 2006, p. 91]. 5¾" x 4".
5. 'Grand Duke Kirill' (Vladimirovich, 1876-1938, grandson of Alexander II), 'Most August Curator of His Majesty's Throne' head and shoulders in military uniform, (c. 1922-1924). 6" x 4".
6. 'Tsesarevich Alexei' on a tricycle in the park at Tsarskoe Selo, c. 1912. From a cabinet photo by Gan. 6" x 4".
7, 27. 'Tsesarevich Alexei' with a donkey and tiny cart, c. 1910. 2½" x 3½".
8. Nicholas II (1868-1918), surrounded by generals. Below in German, 'From the current exhibition of Russian artists in St Petersburg: "A reading of the poet Markov in the club-room of the Ismailovsky Regiment of Guards". Painting by G.K. Bakmanson. Photographed by Bulla, St Petersburg'. [The Russian text above the painting refers to a different image, about Nicholas II with hunters from the regiment at a 700 km ski race, from the periodical 'Novoe Vremya']. 4" x 6".
9, 21. Nicholas II in Cossack hat and long coat, full length, full face. 'His Imperial Majesty Nikolai Alexandrovich'. 2½" x 3½".
10. Luncheon party 'in the great hall at Tsarskoe Selo' for Nicholas II's birthday, '6 May 1911' [Russian Calendar]. 6" x 4".
11. 'Grand Duchess Tatiana' (1897-1918) as a child aged about three, sitting in a chair and wearing an elaborate bonnet. 4¾" x 3½".
12. Alexander III (1845-1894) 'Emperor Alexander III', nearly full length in uniform. Lightly cracked, touching title and blank corner of image, but firm. 4¾" x 3½".
13. Dowager 'Empress Marie' (Feodorovna, 1847-1928), in her Imperial robes. 3½" x 2½".
14. 'Empress Alexandra' (1872-1918) in embroidered dress and coronet holding 'Tsesarevich Alexei' as a little child (1872-1918). 3½" x 2½".
15. Kneeling-desk of the Imperial family for confession, with Bible, icon and candlestick. 5¾" x 3½".
16. 'Grand Duchess Anastasia' (1901-1918) as a little child hold a doll and wearing her elaborate bonnet. Caption mostly defective. 4¾" x 3½".
17. Dowager 'Empress Marie', three quarter length, in a finely embroidered off-the-shoulder gown, hands resting on a chair, from a photo signed and dated 1903. 6½" x 4¾".
18. Tsesarevich Alexei in Cossack uniform, saluting, aged 2. First line of caption visible at foot. [Carol Townend, 'Royal Russia', 2006, p. 117]. 7" x 5".
19. Letter from Nicholas II, signed 'N', asking him to visit him tomorrow morning, 29th November n.y. Plate III of Appendix in Voeikov's Memoirs. 7" x 5".
20. Newspaper cutting headed 'Celebration at the Nikolai College of Engineers', Izhorsky, two images. 'Military Training Staff of the College. In the centre stands 1) College principal General Kryukov and 2) Head of Izhorsky Camp Dobrovolsky. (From a photo by Iosif Otsup)'. Below, 'Festive decorations on the camp buildings of the Nikolai engineering college at Izhorsky camp'. 6½" x 4¾".
21. Nicholas II and Alexandraseated on the deck of a yacht, surrounded by their five children standing, c. 1908. 4" x 6".
22. 'Festival of the Epiphany of Our Lord, 6th January this year in St Petersburg. Blessing of the Waters ('Jordan') of the Neva, in front of the Winter Palace'. From a decorative magazine page with three impressive photos. 7" x 5".
23. Nicholas II, portrait 'by V.A. Serov, 1900. In the collection of Empress Alexandra Feodorovna'. One corner broken in blank margin but attached. 6½" x 4¾".
24. 'Commanding Officers of the Pereyaslavsky Regiment of Dragoons, 1860-1898', (group of 8, 'lacking I.S. Kishinsky, 1863-1865'), celluloid negative. 6¾" x 5".
25. 'Rare portrait bust of the late Heir Tsesarevich, the work of Pozhidaev', apparently Georgiy Anatolevich Pozhedaev, 1897 or 1899-1971, who in the 1920s painted portraits and stage scenery in Moscow, and later watercolours of French landscapes), 'from the period when the Imperial family were staying at Ekaterinburg'. 6 cracks radiating from a spot on the margin. 9¼" x 7".
26. 'Alexander III', head and shoulders, c. 1890, in three pieces but attached. 2½" x 3½".
27. Tsesarevich Alexeisurrounded by generals, apparently the same occasion as Box 1, No. 1, but without the tortoise. 3½" x 4¾".


Box 2

11 Glass Negatives, with prints except nos. 5 and 6:

1, 139. Nicholas II 'in motor with Staff'. Caption: Sary-kamysh. Departure of His Majesty'. (Sary-kamish is 7800 ft up, 20 miles SW of Kars, Transcaucasia). 2¼" x 3¼".
2, 151. Nicholas II in royal motor. Wrapper: 'His Majesty travels round Russia from Headquarters [Stavka]'. 2¼" x 3½".
3, 175. Nicholas II arriving in 'motor car at the front'. Caption: 'On the road from Kamenets-Podolsky'. 2¼" x 3½".
4, 69. General Voeikov standing underneath an arch in St Petersburg chatting. Wrapper (not in Voeikov's hand): 'See Voeikov's memoirs'. Print has stamp of Daniel Nyblin, Helsingfors (Helsinki). 2¾" x 4¾".
5. 'Empress Alexandra' standing with 'Tsesarevich Alexei' on a horse. Image includes a reference number 1876. No print. 2½" x 3½".
6, 41. 'Interior view of the church and iconostasis, from a photograph from nature by N.K. Tervinsky, Archdeacon of the Regimental Church'. Wrapper: 'Horseguards' Church'. No print. 4¾" x 3".
7, 131. Nicholas II 'reviewing troops at a parade' at the front. 2¼" x 3½".
8, 43. 'Mosaic icon of St Nicholas, miracle-worker'. 3½" x 2¼".
9, 156. 'Headquarters. His Majesty the Emperor and members of his Suite take a stroll by the Imperial train', stationary in the snow in the woods at the front. 3½" x 2½".
10, 158. Famous church blown up by the Soviets in Moscow and general view of Moscow. 2½" x 3½".
11, 50. An officer, possibly a Grand Duke, with print. 3¼" x 2½".


Box 3

20 Glass Negatives, all with prints:

1, 163. Nicholas II walking in the snow with some generals at Headquarters. 2½"x 3½".
2, 176. Nicholas II reading a letter from Voeikov at the front, surrounded by officers on the edge of a wood. Caption: 'His Majesty chats with the Constables ['so strazhnikom']. Wrapper, not in Voeikov's hand: 'See Voeikov's memoirs'. 2½" x 3¼".
3, 186. Nicholas II meeting officers, by an arched entrance. [Above the negative image is a fragment of text, referring to the Tsesarevich but not apparently to this image]. 3¼" x 2¼".
4, 172. Nicholas II chatting with generals at the front. 3½" x 2½".
5, 140. 'Medzhingert [about 4 miles SW of Sary-Kamysh]. His Majesty at the spot where the meetings of the troops from advanced positions took place'. Wrapper: 'His Majesty at the Caucasus front'. Nicholas II reviewing troops in the snow. [Above is some printed text about a Red Cross convoy delivering shelters and tea. Voeikov had been active in the Red Cross before the war]. 2¼" x 3¼".
6, 180. Nicholas II 'receives bread and salt from the peasants', in front of a building with doorway decorated with an 'N'. 2¼" x 3¼".
7, 168. 'Lvov. Governor-General's Palace'. 2½" x 3½".
8, 169. 'Guard of honour at Sambor' railway station, half way between Lvov and the Hungarian border. 2¼" x 3½".
9, 105. 'General of Infantry N.V. Ruzsky, victor over the Austrians at Lvov'. Nikolai Vladimirovich Ruzsky (or Russky, 1854-1918, Commander of the III Army), made a dramatic advance to capture Lvov in Galicia, September 1914. It was at his headquarters that Nicholas II abdicated in March, 1917. 3½" x 2½".
10, 161. Nicholas II meeting generals 'at the Field of Mars', St Petersburg. 2½" x 3½".
11, 138. Nicholas II 'at Tiflis' in Cossack uniform meeting generals, with people watching from the balcony of the house behind. 2¼" x 3¼".
12, 133. Nicholas II meeting generals outside 'the Imperial train at the Caucasus front'. 3" x 4¾".
13, 30. 'Horseguards Regiment Festival', showing their hall decked with flags and its fine carpet. 2½" x 3½".
14, 29. Painting of 'Their Imperial Majesties', Nicholas II and Alexandra, surrounded by guests at a ball, the orchestra on a dais in the background, with two prints (one indistinct).. 3¼" x 4¾".
15, 78. 'Ballroom in the [Winter] Palace'. 3½" x 4¾".
16, 71. 'Peterhof', a drawing of the palace from the gardens, fountains playing. 3" x 4¾".
17, 79. 'Tsarskoe Selo'. Oval vignette showing the palace and the lake. 2¼" x 3½".
18, 97. Anichkov Palace, St Petersburg, drawing of a winter scene entitled 'Nevsky Prospekt' by Aleksandr Karlovich Beggrov, 1841-1914. 3½" x 4¾".
19, 59. 'Admiralty' at St Petersburg. 4¾" x 3".
20, 60. 'Staff Headquarters Arch', St Petersburg, surmounted by a triumphal chariot. 3" x 4¾".


Box 4

19 images, 16 with glass negatives and 9 with prints:

1, 38. Church and street, possibly Lvov, with print. 3¼" x 2½".
2. 'Grand Duchess Tatiana Konstantinova' (1890-1979; later Mother Tamara, abbess of the Orthodox Convent of the Mount of Olives, Jerusalem) 'and her [first] husband Prince Bagration-Mukhransky', (Konstantin Alexandrovich, 1889 (Tiflis)-1915, killed in action, 1st June, near Yaroslavl), seated three quarter length, she full face, he three quarter face in uniform, with print. 3½" x 2½".
3, 101. Grand Duke Nicholas (Nikolaevich, 1856-1931, C-in-C 1914-1915, grandson of Nicholas I) and Nicholas II at the front, '? 1914', standing on a mound surrounded by generals and officers, with print.
4, 109. 'Proclaiming the "eternal memory" of the Peace-Maker Tsar', Alexander III, 'and unveiling of the memorial' in St Petersburg, [28th May 1909], showing the huge equestrian statue by P.P.Trubetskoi surrounded by garlanded pillars, with troops in the foreground, with print. 3½" 4¾".
5, 141. 'Elderly men' waiting to see Nicholas II 'in Tiflis', with print. 2¼" 3¼".
6, 160. Print only of Nicholas II seated on a motor boat, in harbour, with a group of officers. 1¾" x 3".
7, 132. Print only of Nicholas II walking on a railway track with generals at the front. 2" x 3".
8, 121. Print only of possibly Voeikov, full length, full face, in disguise before leaving Russia. 4½" x 3¼".
9, 167. 'Lvov railway station' (printed caption), 'Peremyshl town hall' (wrapper), with print. 2½" x 3½".
10, 39. Church and street, possibly Lvov, built in a similar style to Box 4 No. 1, with print.
11. Tsesarevich Alexei in sailor's uniform, three quarter length, full face, c. 1914. Reference no. 810 (?) in bottom right corner, no print. 3½" x 2½".
12. 'Prince Georgy Konstantinovich', (1903-1938, son of Grand Duke Konstantin Konstantinovich and great-grandson of Nicholas I), in sailor's uniform, full length, 'from a photograph by P. Zhukov, St Petersburg', reference no.1170, c. 1912, no print. 3½" x 2¾".
13, 28. 'Grand Duke Alexander Mikhailovich', (1866-1933, 'Sandro', grandson of Nicholas I), 'and Xenia Alexandrovna' (1875-1960, sister of Nicholas II) 'with their [seven] most August children', including Irina, 1895-1970, whose husband Prince Yusupov killed Rasputin), c. 1910, reference no. 59, no print. 2½" x 3½".
14, 18. 'Grand Duchess Anastasia' as a toddler, sitting wearing a kokoshnik [a type of Russian crown fashioned from velvet and embroidered with pearls, see Carol Townend, 'Royal Russia', 2006, p. 37 for this image], no print. 3½" x 2½".
15. 'Entrance and gates of the regimental headquarters' of the Horse Guards, 'from a photograph from nature by N.K. Tervinsky', Archdeacon of the Regimental Church, no print. 3¼" x 2¼".
16. 'Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich', (1891-1942, grandson of Alexander II and of George I of the Hellenes), 'recipient of the Order of St. George, 4th Class'. Seated three quarter length, full face, in military uniform. In 1916 the Grand Duke was involved with Yusupov in the killing of Rasputin, and sent to Persia to join a fighting column. 3½" x 2½".
17. 'General L.G. Kornilov', head and shoulders in uniform, three quarter face, no print. 6½" x 4¾".
18. General Voeikov's wife Evgenia ('Nina'), no print. 6½" x 4¾".
19. General Voeikov with his wife and two children, no print. 6½" x 4¾".

Item Date:  1925

Stock No:  53143      £12500

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