Author: [PHOTOGRAPHY - RUSSIA - MIECZKOWSKI, Jan].
Title: [Collection of photographic prints depicting Moscow during the coronation of Alexander III & Maria Feodorovna and the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in May 1883].[Russian Empire (probably Warsaw in present-day Poland)], Mechkovsky (= Jan Mieczkowski), [1883]. 9 photographic prints mounted on large white paper boards, captioned in Russian above and below the image. Kept together in a clear plastic sleeve.
Description: Rare photographic prints depicting the coronation of Tsar Alexander III and Tsarina Maria Feodorovna and the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, all in Moscow in May 1883. The prints are signed in print by the publisher/photographer "Mechkovsky", meaning Jan Mieczkowski (1830-1889). Mieczkowski was a Polish photographer working in Warsaw when the city was part of the Russian Empire. It is said that he was one of the first photographers in the Russian Empire to work in the genre of news photography - his photographs of the events surrounding the coronation of the Tsar and the consecration of the cathedral in Moscow were an outstanding success in this field of photography.The present photographs depict the major events taking place in Moscow in May/June 1883, mainly the coronation of Tsar Alexander III & Tsarina Maria Feodorovna taking place from May 10 to May 28 or, depending on which calendar is used (resp. the Gregorian vs. Julian calendar), from May 22 to June 9 1883. Mieczkowski captured all the key moments of the celebrations, including the entry of the royal retinue into Red Square, the anointing in the Assumption Cathedral of the Moscow Kremlin, the emperor's visit to the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, the consecration of the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, public festivities and the subsequent parade on Khodynka Field (only the scenes of the public festivities and the parade are not depicted in the present collection of prints).A more extensive description is available upon request.The paper boards are slightly browned and occasionally lightly foxed, the bottom left corner of one board (with one of the photos captioned: "??????? ??? ?????????????? ?????????? ??? ?????????? ??????") shows a small water stain, some prints show some minor scratches or other marks, mainly in the margins of the images. Otherwise the photographic prints are in very good condition. A remarkable selection of Jan Mieczkowski's photographic prints depicting the celebrations in Moscow in May 1883.

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