3 Russian Photograph Albums, 1864–85

1) Carte-de-visite album, 21 x 15 cm with horse motif and clasp, 25 plates for 100 cartes de visite, with 99 mostly Russian images from 1864–1880 of the upper classes, two pages roughly re-glued, otherwise well-preserved, fairly clean image tone without staining. – Note: The same society lady is pictured in a series of images in Russia and later (on an Agfa-Lupex paper print from c. 1920) in reduced circumstances on the balcony of a rented apartment in exile. – 2) Leather album, 23 x 28 cm, with 25 plates for 200 cartes de visite, containing portraits of notable figures from the aristocracy, cultural life and politics, final page torn, clasp missing. – Note: The type of name printed on the lower edge of almost all the portraits suggests the sample album of a Russian dealer for pictures of personalities. As a rule, carte-de-visite albums containing pictures of prominent people or relatives in politics or from the nobility served the social purpose of discreetly familiarizing the waiting guest with the likes (who is shown) and dislikes (who is not) of the host. This is not such an album as all tastes are represented. – And: 3) Leather album "Christmas 1885", 17 x 22 cm, with 17 plates for cabinet format and complete set of 34 cabinet cards of German-speaking families, several labeled, including von Auer, Gutbier, Wagner and others (some photos by Ch. Bergamasco, St. Petersburg), including 12 cabinet cards of St. Petersburg.

布雷克拍品等级是为了方便竞买人判断拍卖品的成色而设置的。布雷克等级用1到6级来标注外观和功能的成色，(从非常好到非常差)。 在目录图册里用括号里的2个数字来表示，前一个数字表示外观成色的级别，后一个数字表示功能成色的级别。如(3/2)表示外观成色是3(满意的)，功能成色2(好)。 成色 定义参照下列标准： 1 - 非常好 (未使用过，没有使用痕迹) 2 - 好 (新，极少的使用痕迹) 3 - 满意的 (普通的使用痕迹) 4 - 及格的 (明显的使用痕迹，某个非主要部件是后配的) 5 - 有缺陷的 (极明显的使用痕迹, 某个主要部件是后配的，功能上有缺陷，需要修理) 6 - 非常差 (严重破损, 缺少重要部件)