" In the Russian Style" edited by Jackie O

[Alixz]

Has anyone seen this book or have a copy of it?

I saw it while looking for books on Imperial fashions and style.  Some reviewers aren't that excited about it and they say that there aren't too many color photos which is what I am looking for.

I would like to see what the gowns and court dresses truly looked like and not just in black and white.

Thanks in advance for any help.   

[Louis_Charles]

I have it. I think it made a big splash when it appeared because there was nothing like it out then, and in the intervening years a LOT of stuff with the kind of pictures you describe have come out. And of course you-know-who edited the book. If you can find it on eBay, sure, but if you are really interested in the color pictures I would look for some of the other books that have been published --- catalogs of exhibitions in Russia, etc.

[Alixz]

Simon,

I have some exhibition catalogues, but they still don't have exactly what I am looking for.  Do you have examples? 

I have Nicholas & Alexandra - The Last Imperial Family of Tsarist Russia and Nicholas II - The Imperial Family.  I also have Tsar - The Lost World of Nicholas & Alexandra and The Court of the Last Tsar.

And did you like In the Russian Style?  Was it worth it?

I also found two other books.  Art of Costume in Russia  and  Russian Imperial Style but I can't get any information on just what is inside either of these books.   

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks.

[ChristineM]

'In the Russian Style' - I can sum up in one single word - disappointing.

tsaria

[Sarai_Porretta]

I got Russian Imperial Style by Laura Cerwinske (I assume this is the book you're referring to) over 10 years ago. It is a lovely, glossy coffee-table type book. It is still back at my mom's house in Florida, so I don't remember exactly what is in it, other than it was mostly about art, jewelery, and architecture and not so much about fashions. There are a couple little reviews about it on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Russian-Imperial-Style-Laura-Cerwinske/dp/0517187051/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/002-4657492-1636860?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1182173796&sr=8-1

I also found two other books.  Art of Costume in Russia  and  Russian Imperial Style but I can't get any information on just what is inside either of these books.   

Any help is appreciated.  Thanks.

[ChristineM]

I have 'In the Russian Style' right beside me as I write.   I thought perhaps I had been rather harsh in my previous post.   But, NO.   There is a lovely coloured photograph on the dustcover of a Russian court gown taken in the Malachite Room of the Winter Palace.  Inside there are 8 inserted pages of coloured photographs of clothes dating from Catherine the Great to a gown belonging to Natasha Alexandrovna Suvurov alongside a coat of her father's Marshall Suvurov.   And that's it.   All the rest are black and white - mostly unseen.   (Probably cost kopeks for the copyright).   Poor reproductions on very poor quality paper.   Actually, that is not strong enough.  The quality of paper and photography is disgraceful - even worse than Soviet-era books.   I don't know what Jackie O' was thinking about   

tsaria

PS:  On the reverse of the dustcover is a coloured closeup of a piece of heavily embroidered fabric.

That's it.

[Arleen_Ristau]

I too own the book and was very dissappointed.  I bought it because Jacqueline Kennedy edited it and so I thought that would make it special or something.  But it didn't.

But if you are collecting Romanov books you need to have it for your collection.

Arleen

[helenazar]

Alixz, I have Russian Imperial Style too, but I am not home now and I can't remember for sure what's inside. I can actually look over it for you and answer your questions, and even scan some pages if you like, but you will need to remind me. If you PM me in a couple of days to remind me, I can try to do that for you.

[Alixz]

Helen_A

Thank you, I will do that 

[helenazar]

Alixz, as promised, here are some scans from Russian Imperial Style... The books covers everything from Russian painting to jewerly to clothes to objet d'art, icons, etc. The photos are good quaility...

[Alixz]

Helen_A  Thank you for the lovely scans.

No matter how they tried they to portray her, Catherine the Great was no beauty   

My favorite Imperial Easter Egg in the Winter Egg given to Marie Feodorovna by Nicholas II in 1913.

[pookiepie]

thsoe are some rather strong comments   i got it for $14 at a used book store and i think it was worth it but it's not what you're looking for. i personally like it because it's not just about fancy dresses, but also about clothing from back in the day and there were many pictures i haven't seen. i've lost it since then and i never read it (too lazy) but i thought it was worth it just for the pictures. but again, i wasn't looking for only fancy ball gowns. and yeah, the paper isn't awesome, but it's an old book. i don't think it's that bad. it's a good book if you're into all aspects of clothing spanning a long period of time.

[Alixz]

Pookie pie -

Thanks for your imput.  "old" is a relative term to some of us.  

This book was only published in 1998.  I haven't seen more than the cover, but I expected a lot more from the editor.  Evidently the others who own it did, too.

But I am glad that you liked it.       If I find it for a good "cheap" price, I will probably get it just to have it in my collection.

[Sarushka]

This book was only published in 1998.  I haven't seen more than the cover, but I expected a lot more from the editor.  Evidently the others who own it did, too.

Actually, In the Russian Style was first published in 1976.

[Robert_Hall]

The 1998 edition must be a reprint, as Jackie O. died in 1994 I think. It was pretty ground-breaking for it's time though.