Best book or album with photos and portraits of the Romanovs?

[katya]

I am interested in everyone's opinion on their favorite picture/photo book on the Romanovs.  Personally, I like Love, Power and Tragedy.  I don't have Prince Michael's book-who recommends it?  


Everyone post your favorites.

[Ilana]

I second that recommendation!

[Sarai_Porretta]

Prince Michael's book was the first Romanov picture book that I ever bought, and I was fascinated by it from the day I first saw it in the bookstore. I still think it is a wonderful book. My top three picture books are that one, The Romanovs: Love, Power, & Tragedy, and Peter Kurth's Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra. Of these three, however, if I had to pick a favourite it would probably be "Love, Power, & Tragedy," as it has fabulous and rare photos as well as pictures of artifacts from the family's life and wonderfully informative captions and text to top it off.

[Louise]

My two fave books so far are, Peter Kurth's book, The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra, and Nicholas and Alexandra, The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia.

I'm waiting (somewhat patiently) for The Camera and the Tsar, and from what I have read on the board, I need to add Prince Michael book and Love, Power and Tragedy.

Louise

[Silja]

Prince Michael's book. definitely.

[elisa_1872]

Hi Louise! Oh you will so enjoy it when it arrives!! Do post what you think when you've looked at it

Mine would also have to be great Romanovs, Love Power and Tragedy, and the wonderful Prince Michael book. And Camera of the Tsars

Elisa

[Pravoslavnaya]

I very much like the Prince Michael of Greece book and 'Love, Power and Tragedy.'  I have yet to get 'The Camera and the Tsars'.  

Does anyone here have an opinion on a book known as 'The Jewel Album'?

A word on 'The Romanov Family Album', a rarity that can sometimes sell on the used book market for over a hundred dollars:  some extremely charming photographs that one doesn't see 'once again for the umpteenth time',  commentary from 'Nicholas and Alexandra' by Robert Massie and 'Memories of the Russian Court' by Anna Vyrubova.  Nothing new, however, if you have scoured the Beinecke Rare Books Library website down to their grainiest, most faded and most sadly deteriorated photographs.  If you can find it for or bid less than *40.00* on eBay for it, a good buy in that case.

[Joanna]

Hi Pravoslavnaya !

The Jewel Album of Tsar Nicholas II by Alexander von Solodkoff is a jewel !!!!!! Many of the photographs are rare and they are from Princess Irene's albums of the Hemmelmark archives. On another post Thomas has written that von Solodkoff is married to the greatgranddaughter of Princess Irene!

There is one precious photo of Alexandra seated in the chair in the mauve room: "..This rather mystical photograph taken in 1898 shows her both in frontal and profile view. The double exposure of the film may have been made by error. The result was however appreciated by the sitter as copies of the negatives were made and sent to relatives."

Joanna

[Merrique]

I only have 2 books so far,Tsar: The Lost World of Nicholas and Alexandra and Royal Russia by James Blair Lovell & Carol Townsend.I like them both pretty well but I did notice a mistake in the Royal Russia book.On p62 there is a picture that says it's GD Olga dressed more informally but it sure doesn't look like Olga to me,it looks like GD Maria.Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think I am.Maybe someone else has an opinion about this.

Unfortunately in Columbus,Ohio the "major" bookstores don't seem to have very much on russian history or the imperial family.The only store I have found that has any kind of selection on these topics is Half Priced Books,and their selection is very limited.I guess I need to start ordering online since i can't find anything local.

[Lanie]

There are indeed a few errors of identification in Royal Russia and you're right, it is Maria.  There are also other errors...it says a picture of Tatiana is Anastasia, and a picture of Nicholas, Alexandra and baby Olga was taken in 1886 instead of 1896!

[Merrique]

Thanks Lanie
I thought i had seen other mistakes in that book but i wasn't too sure about those.

[Sarai_Porretta]

Does anyone here have an opinion on a book known as 'The Jewel Album'?

I can also second the recommendation for The Jewel Album. It is a nice mix of rare photos that I had not seen elsewhere, as well as of course the catalog of Nicholas's jewels. These are all his hand-drawn colour sketches of the jewels he received from 1879 to 1913, plus there is an interesting article on the history of the pieces. It is especially touching to see the jewelry received from his wife and children. The photos, as I mentioned, are a real treat as well. I especially enjoyed a couple showing Alix with baby Tatiana.

[Greg_King]

Three more recommended picture books:

1.  Nikolai II by Alexander Bokhanov (Moscow, 2000) (a brilliant collection of unusual photos)
2.  Rossiiskii Imperatorskii Dom by Bokhanov (Moscow 1992) (lots of unusual photographs never reproduced elsewhere with lots on the various family members)
3.  Nikolai II by Iroshnikov (English edition published as "Sunset of the Romanov Dynasty)-the Russian edition has about a 100 additional photos-most quite unusual.

Greg King

[Belochka]

Greg,

I have the original Russian version of the Bokhanov (1992) book. Is there much difference between it and the newer English version?

Thanks for your reply.

[Greg_King]

They're two completely different books, with different text and photos-and both are in Russian.

Greg King