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[PRINTING HOUSE OF RUSSIAN ACADEMICIANS] Akademicheskaia tipografiia, 1728–1928 [i.e. The Printing Shop of the Academy, 1728–1928]

Iuferov, D., Sokolov, G.

Item #2654

Leningrad: Izdatel’stvo Akademii nauk SSSR, 1929. 108, [2] pp., 15 ills. 23 × 15 cm. In original printed wrappers. Edges of front cover faded, spine restored, creases of edges, stamp “Printed in Soviet Union” on front cover, otherwise very good and clean internally.

Second edition. One of 1000 copies. Rare. The book was compiled for the 200th anniversary of the oldest of the currently operating printing houses (the 300th anniversary will be held in 2028).
After the founding of St. Petersburg, the authorities established a printing house for royal decrees, a small printing house of the Alexander Nevsky Monastery, a printing house of the Senate, and only then the printing house of the Academy of Sciences. The latter was established on October 4, 1727, “to print historical books that have been translated into Russian”. All Church Slavonic printing shops were forced to move to Moscow. The new printing shop consisted of two departments: Russian and foreign. Technical support was provided by specialized workshops: metal types manufacturing, bookbinding, engraving. During the first year, 11 books by scientists were printed alongside issues of the Vedomosti newspaper. In the following decade, an average of twenty books per year were produced.
This particular edition includes statistical data on the printing shop and selected editions produced during following periods: the earliest twenty years, the rest of the 18th century, the whole 19th century, early 20th century before the October revolution and ten years of Soviet power. The account includes such details as regular purchases of fonts and machines, nationalities of workers, studentship in the printing shop, the impact of the 1924 flooding in Leningrad, etc.
The text is illustrated with reproductions of title pages, one page of the 1826 type specimen catalog and photographs: one of them features all employees of the printing shop in the early Soviet Union, another one shows A. Enukidze sitting near the director V. Nordheim and three senior employees. One more interesting picture was taken in the typesetting department where workers standing next to type cases.

Worldcat shows paper copies located in Columbia, Harvard, North Carolina, Princeton, Rider, Stanford, Yale Universities and NYPL.

Price: $650.00