How much original pieces, furniture is really still survived?

[I-TsarevichAlexei13]

This thread I thought of starting because no one has seen any actual pieces, Bob Atchison is an exception. But, this thread is a hopefully good treasure trove of info for people, who want to learn more about the furniture. I know there are other threads about this, but specifics sometimes are pushed to way-side...

I would like to introduce a topic....

Many, if a few of us know that Pavlovsk is probably the only Palace repository that has most of AP's original pieces.

I have a feeling, not only is there paneling from the Maple Drawing Room, and its furniture, but also original Mauve Boudoir chairs, and maybe even the actual original arm chair that has been so well documented in fotos by everyone. I also would like to ask, if anyone has clues as to the where-abouts, of the lovely piano that once stood, on an angle near the doors leading into Nicholas' and Alexandra's Bed Chamber?

It may have been lost, but I and a friend have reason to believe its somewhere, possibly, most likely at Pavlovsk in storage. I know that currently at Alexander Palace, lies Alexandra's original writing desk, which miraculously survived through the years, albeit its covered with a dull coloured tarp or table-cloth, and seems very dilapidated from viewing sight. I also notice, that divider, for privacy with the lilac-coloured silk striped pattern that was the usual known trigger for the Mauve Boudoir, seeing fotos of it, which there are only a few, I think one.. is that the original divider, that was positioned right by the doors leading to the Bed Chamber of N &A?



The Mauve Boudoir chair, featured on the "Mauve Room" part of the Alexander Time Machine website.



The divider presently at Alexander Palace....

and then... what the real thing looks like...



The authentic, divider for privacy can be seen next to the doors...

I can tell, some furniture, not all is still reminent of the Mauve Boudoir, the furniture they have on display now is horrid compared to the delicate, light-weight-looking, beautiful knick-knack style Alexandra loved.

and where is the grand piano? That was situated in the Boudoir? I think its at Pavlovsk, maybe even Catherine. But most likely Pavlovsk, because its known to have tons of Alexander Palace items, original too the Palace, and not to Pavlovsk.

I think with 2011 looming up, and 2010 coming to a end...

restoration at Alexander Palace, is finally commencing, and speeding up. The enfilade of parade/or ceremonial Halls {Portrait, Semi-Circular, and Billiard/Marble Halls} is truly amazing, and a beautiful aspect of the palace, now slowly being brought back to life, what I am clearly amazed at is that the chandeliers, have found their respectful spots finally.

I would also like to note. The Chandelier currently in The split Maple Drawing Room space, isn't that from Pallisander Drawing Room? If you compare, the B & W fotos of Pallisander, and the chandelier hanging in the ceiling of the basically empty of art nouveau architecture Maple Drawing Room, they look strikingly similar.

I have read recently, by 2015, a comprehensive restoration is in due time. This restoration is going to compile of the entire Imperial Wing, and not just Nicholas' and Alexandra's private apartments, but also the children's apartments and spaces upstairs on the second floor. I hope they do re-store all the cozy corner sofas, and beautiful artistry work that was used to create the Maple Drawing Room, and also the Mauve Boudoir, the chairs themselves of the Mauve Boudoir were works of art The Maple Room hailing still as it was the finest Art Nouveau space in all of Russia, during that time.

Please, if anyone could contribute information to this topic, and debate it would be much appreciated

God Bless!

~I-TsarevichAlexei13

[Robert_Hall]

What do you mean by "no one has seen the original pieces"  A visit to Pavlosk  will satisfy that . Also, there are pieces in the Hermitage.
 Also, the furniture in the private apartments today was made as props for a  movie being filmed there.  Of necessity, they had to be heavier to withstand the hard  treatment they would receive during filming.

[I-TsarevichAlexei13]

but that divider is that from 1997, or from Alexandra's real Boudoir furniture? I am just wondering. I know Pavlovsk has alot of AP's things, and I would just like to know, where all of the surviving furniture has gone. I know Alexandra's decorating style was de rigeur to the Russian Aristocracy, and elite, Yussopov made his dislike very clear....

But, what does Winter and Catherine have, besides the court gowns, and suits?


info much appreciated, and I do know of the movie your talking about, Romanovy Ventsenosnaya Semya, 1997. I've seen it, but just some of the pieces in that room look so dated, the divider and the desk under the tarp or tablecloth, I know I read somewhere that is Alexandra's original writing desk from the Mauve Bodouir, but that chair I pictured, from the AP Time Machine Website, with the lampas lilac silk covering and the cream-coloured wooden base, is that a actual chair from the Mauve room, or jsut a coloured representation its hard to tell, I'm no expert, and I do not pretend to be one, just a kid who loves, history and such, especially the romanovs, and the russian imperial palaces.

[Robert_Hall]

 Maples was "de rigeur"?  [rigueur] That horrid Maples furniture was probably used as firewood.  However, furniture from the AP is on display at the Hermitage in the furniture galleries. Those were situated in the former Imperial Apartments when I was last there,  but they move those galleries about fairly often for various reasons.
 As for the Catherine, I do not recall what was there from the AP. Only a fraction of the rooms were open, but now I understand  much more is now open for viewing. What with all that the CP had to begin with, plus the AP, they have far more than they can display, I am sure. Same with the Hermitage. When items go on display in other museums as loans, they often  come from the storage wharehouses.
 I doubt if that screen is the original. The fabric looks too new. If original it would at least have faded a bit, if not tear from natural aging.
 Interestingly,  the Hermitage sells a range of late 19th early 20th century Russian furniture.  I would love to own  a few pieces but it is very costly. And shipping them  would at least double the cost. They are made as copies of Russian made furniture in the palaces at that time.

[I-TsarevichAlexei13]

sigh.. why does everyone detest Alexandra's decorating skills? seeing a black & white foto, versus a present time-colour today restoration, from scratch, I don't understand why people are so haughty and cold to her, she was such a lovely woman ,and a beautiful one, too. She loved her children, her country, and most of all her husband. Why people detest, and harp on her so much that she was a "bad empress" or such as a "german spy" that's highly inaccurate, I wish people would stop hunkering down on Alexandra's beautiful decorating styles, and instead look at her life. People jsut want pizzazz and oooh and ahhh at the palace. Well it wasn't pizzazz and ooooh and ahhh at AP. AP was a family palace, a family home, a beautiful Paradise inside a sea of gold.

I'm sorry its just my opinion.. And I think it should be heard, not that this pertains to the topic at hand.. but anyway.. ahh venting...

God Bless!

~I-TsarevichAlexei13

[Robert_Hall]

I am not talking about Alexandra, I am talking about Maples furniture. It was terribly bourgeoisie.  They are still in business, BTW, but they have changed with the times. [I am sure  they are owned by  a major  company now, no longer a family business]. Their furniture from that era comes up on auction now & then,  and it does not sell well. It was terribly dated when made and has no real  "style" to it. It tends to be massive and very heavy and dark. It is oppressive in light, 18th & 19th century rooms. And all that tacky chintz. That  was more Laura Ashley than Laura  could ever be, IMO.
 If you want mu opinion on Alexandra herself, I will tell you on the appropriate thread. This thread is supposed to be about the furniture   that was in the AP.

[..dlnec1]

Maples went out of business several years ago. Someone may own the name. Maples also owned Gillows who made furniture for the Royal Family. I think my grandparents had a lot of Gillow pieces.

[Robert_Hall]

 Yes Maples   itself closed down in 1997, after 150 years trading. It had been owned by ASDA since 1993. Before that it was no longer "family" but share owners, mostly family and workers, but on the  exchange  to anyone. After 1997, I think it has been owned [the name, that is, by various  concerns.] And I doubt the furniture is even made in  the UK any longer, and I can't find, at the moment, who owns the name now. far as I can find out, they no longer have actual stores but sell  through catalogues and the web. To me, it looks like  middle class  "utilitarian"other than  "classy" or "posh". And I HATED it in the N&A era.   Very middle class Victorian.
 So, when the curators were evacuating the palaces, they saved the really important  antiques and left most of the Maples behind. Hence, it fell into the   hands of the Germans or the bombs.
 Purely by coincidence, we had a  dealer from Germany who brought over a large  collection of Biedermeyer and Maples furniture. It was not selling  in Germany and SF was perfect for the renovations  craze still going on here. It took a while, as those were large pieces and most of the grand old Victorians had been  chopped  into flats.  I looked for palace marks on every piece,  but found nothing. They may not even had been inventoried. That would be unusual,  but not unknown.
 You also can find a few pieces in   museums, especially  costume collection. They make excellent props  for the  costumes of that era.

[londo954]

When the Pavlovsk website was available in English there was a selection of, for lack of a better word, room studies that were on display. These were the musuems version of typical rooms from various periods in history not tied to the Palace itself. One room particularly struck me as having obviously come from the Alexander Palace and that one was called MAPLE STUDY. It had a chaise lounge and panelling and decorations that bore a striking resemblance to the MAPLE ROOM from the palace complete with a white polar bear rug. It also had the portrait of Alexander that looks like the one that hung in Nicholas's reception room. Can anyone confirm my hypothesis.

PS. Don't forget the chandeliers in the Egyptian Reception Room at Pavlovsk also hung in one of the libraries at Alexander

[Robert_Hall]

londo954, I think that room has been dismantled and may be in the Hermitage now.   I could also be wrong, as it was 4 years ago since I was last there.. I do not recall it it from that from that visit. The maple stuff was just there  until the curators   could restore the rooms to their original state.
 There was, however, a very lavish and HEAVY book available, in German of all things, available. It illustarted all the rooms as they were originally and after the restorations. Not only that, it was VERY expensive !  WE converted the amount to about  $500us ! I was tempted, but it was too much to deal witth.

[londo954]

Thats a lot... do you think those maple elements were from the Alexander Palace... they look remarkable similar to the photos I ve seen

[Robert_Hall]

IMO, londo954, yes. I have seen the same pictures as you, I am sure. This was Alexandra's taste and  not many, if any,  put this style into their classical Russian homes. It was not a trend, in other words.
 Having said that, however,  also IMO,  the Maple library and study are the best  of that style.  Although still dark and cumbersome.

[londo954]

Call me weird... :0)) but I like the style makes it seem homey... one must remember that the Imperial Wing was meant to be a HOME first not a palace......... Even though it was a finctioning palace it was first and foremost a home. Alexandra's taste is questionable at best I agree  but that adds to the charm of the room. I can imagine her standing firm on her wishes while everyone chastized her. I wonder what Nicholas thought of it .. it seems so counter to his tastes

[Robert_Hall]

You are not weird, londo954.  Not everyone would agree with my taste either. I just  do not like all the clutter  and "coziness". And, I have no room to talk. My home is almost as cluttered, and after 40 years in the anitigue business, was full of heavy furniture.  It is only recently that I have been able to get my partner to get rid [sell] it.
  As for the AP, well, the private apartments were indeed theirs to escape from the formality of court and  do as they wished. Which was not very imaginative, IMO- again. However, it was also a functioning, formal palace with purposeful functions to perform.
 There is also the opposite wing to consider. No one has seen pictures of it for what, 60 years?  Pictures of those rooms from before WWI are around, but hard to come by I have seen only a few.

[londo954]

Very true and also with the original furnishings they may be around but simply re-covered or altered in the ensuing years between the war and now. I understand the Pavlovsk Paalce does not advertise the provenance of a lot of their pieces and it is logical the Kuchmanov would have arranged for alot of AP things to be moved there for him to keep and eye on. Also another factor is the indifference and outright hostility that the soviets showed toward the last Imperial Family it further casts doubt on too much original furnishing surviving from the Imperial Wing.

I would love to have seen how the other wing looked erspecially the maples suite. There were a series of paintings done at one time of teh Imperial Palace interiors including the Alexander Palace but I have only seen a few such as the stag room and MF's bedroom. I wonder if more exist