Society and Book Culture: Rare second-hand books put on show at the Central House of Artists

The exhibition “Books for gourmets. Bibliophile editions of late 19th – beginning 20th cc", featuring editions of the Silver Age of Russian Poetry and first years of the Soviet power from the private collection of the Head of the Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications Mikhail Seslavinsky, kicked off on December 2 at the Central House of Artists. 

The exhibition is timed to the International Non/Fiction Fair which is taking place at the Central House of Artists on December 1 - 5. The exposition unveils masterpieces of Russia’s publishing – works created by outstanding Russian publishers, writers and artists of late 19th – beginning 20th cc.

"That time marks the era of the greatest rise and flowering of the Russian art, which presented book collectors with folios, becoming cult right from their release, and which today still remain masterpieces", - Mr Seslavinsky said.

Distinctive features of such books are: limited edition, original format, type of paper, text design, unusual binding, as well as extra design details - autographs, bookplates etc. Sometimes books were numbered, signed by the author or decorated by illustrators by hand.

Bibliophile editions were often either freely distributed among a small circle of collectors or sold at high prices.

To mark the opening of the exhibition will be unveiled an illustrative album bearing the same name, created by the Head of the Federal Agency on Press and Mass Communications, famous buff and connoisseur of rare books, Mikhail Seslavinsky, and Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor Olga Tarakanova.

The album "Books for gourmets. Bibliophile editions of late 19th – beginning 20th cc" represents an elaborate analysis of editions available at the newly opened exposition and estimation of the rarity degree of this or that edition at the antique second-hand market these days.

The exhibition will be open for visitors on December 2 - 12.