NICHOLAS II – UKHTOMSKY, Esper (1861–1921). Puteshestvie na Vostok Ego Imperatorskogo Vysochestva Gosudarya Naslednika Tsesarevicha 1890–1891. [Journey to the East of His Imperial Highness the Sovereign Heir and Tsarevich, 1890–1891]. Leipzig: F. A. Brockhaus, 1893–97. [With:] Tsarskaya semya [The Imperial Family], portfolio of 11 photographs of the Imperial family. Tsarskoye Selo: The Infirmary of Their Imperial Highnesses, Grand Duchesses Maria Nikolaevna and Anastasia Nikolaevna, c.1910.

Very rare, finely-bound first edition account of Nicholas II’s travels to East Asia as heir apparent; with portfolio of photographs of the Imperial family. From the library of Matilda Geddings Gray. The publication of this monumental work in three volumes between 1893 to 1897 was punctuated by the death of Nicholas’s father, Alexander III, in 1894. Thus the title changes from referencing “His Imperial Highness the Sovereign Heir and Tsarevich” in the first volume to “His Imperial Majesty Nicholas II” in the second and third. No copies recorded at auction.

Three volumes, folio (380 × 288mm). Illustrated half-titles, engraved frontispiece portraits of Nicholas II, numerous full-page color plates and additional illustrations (occasional faint toning and offsetting). Contemporary blue calf, wide gold-tooled border painted in teal, green, orange, red and white imitating Russian champlevé style, gold-tooled imperial cypher of Nicholas II in the upper covers’ central panels above “Nicholas” in Cyrillic letters styled as Arabic script all painted in the same champlevé style, white watered silk endpapers tooled with similar border and imperial cypher printed in teal, gold-tooled dentelles, edges gilt, white silk bookmarks with tassels (extremities rubbed, few small stains); blue chemises and paper clamshell boxes (scratched, few stains, tear in second volume chemise, repairs). [With:] Portfolio of 11 photographic prints of the Imperial family, each sheet each 325 × 250mm (images c. 167 × 132mm), unbound in paper wrapper with title and Imperial crown device printed in black (wrapper chipper with one flap detached and few marks).

By repute, from the library of Emperor Nicholas II, Alexander Palace, Tsarskoe Selo.
With Hammer Galleries, New York.
A gift to Matilda Geddings Gray (1885-1971) from Bill Mitchell.
By descent to Matilda Gray Stream (1924-2023) and descendants.