Search Results: Titles starting with U from PY Rare Books

The first illustrated book edition: a lovely example, unopened.The first separate edition of a chapter from "Seyfer Habeheymes" (The Book of Beasts), "Dos tosfos yom tov kelbl" (The Tosfos Yom Tov's calf), by Mendele Mocher Sforim contains seven in-text illustrations by Joseph Tchaikov, who also designed the title and cover. The logo of the Kiyever Farlag publishing house, on the first page and on the back cover, was designed by El Lissitzky.Mendele Mocher-Sforim [Mocher-Sforim means a book-pedlar in Yiddish] (1836-1917) was a pseudonym of Sholem Yankev Abramovich, one of the founders of modern Jewish and Hebrew literature, its oldest classic. Born in Kapyl (modern Belarus), until the age of 17 he studied in yeshiva (religious schools). In 1854, having settled in Kamenets-Podolsk, he studied secular culture under the influence and guidance of the writer Avrom Ber Gotlober. Sholem-Aleykhem dubbed him "Der zeyde" (The grandfather): the grandfather of Yiddish literature.The book that brought Mendele fame… Read More

THE FIRST BOOK IN RUSSIAN DEALING WITH THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR, illustrated with large folding maps.
VERY RARE: we could trace only one example in public institutions outside Russia, in Rome's National Central Library. We could find a copy in the Russian State Library's catalogue, but not in the National Library.
There was keen interest shown in Russia in the American Civil War, not least because from the reign of Tsar Nicholas I onwards, Russia had increasingly looked towards America, both as an ally, and as a model for diplomatic and military might. This took on extra significance after Russia's defeat in the Crimean War, when the government hoped that the U.S. might provide a counter-balance to European military hegemony, particularly that of Britain and France. Significantly, Russia was the only major European power to offer vocal support to the Union. Indeed, the Russian Navy sent two fleets to US waters in 1861-2 in order to safeguard them in the event of war with the British and French, a move… Read More