Bookstamp: Bibliothèque de Tsarskoe Selo

In 1938, the Library purchased from New York bookseller Maurice Sloog “more than 600 volumes of early nineteenth century fiction … from the Imperial Library at Tsarskoe-Selo. Most of the books have the stamp of the Imperial Library, and some bear the bookplate of Alexander III. Another plate with the words “Bibliothèque de Tsarkoe-Selo” indicates that the books came from that section of the private library of Nicholas II which was housed in the Alexander Palace.” Further particulars given in the following article, here quoted above: Albert E. McVitty, Jr. ’32 “Books from Tsarskoe-Selo, Nineteenth Century French Novels, Bearing Imperial Bookplates, Now at Princeton” in the Princeton Alumni Weekly XXXVIII, 27 (April 15, 1938), pp. 1-2. ❧ News of the accession also published in The New York Times, May 10, 1938 [link to article]

❧ Example above on half title of Bantysh-Kamenskīĭ, D. N. (Dmitrīĭ Nikolaevich), 1788-1850. Siècle de Pierre-le-Grand; ou, Actions et hauts faits des capitaines et des ministres qui se sont illustrés sous le règne de cet empereur; tr. du russe … par un officier russe, avec des remarques explicatives du traducteur … A Moscou, S. Selivanovsky, 1822. Call number (EX) 1627.168.144 vol. 1.

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About Stephen Ferguson

Stephen Ferguson is Librarian Emeritus, Princeton University Library. He came to Princeton in 1975 to be Curator of Rare Books, after several years of professional work at the John Carter Brown Library (Brown University) and the National Heritage Museum (Lexington, Mass.). Between 2014 and 2026, he held various posts as an Associate University Librarian at Princeton. He has degrees from Bowdoin (A.B.) and Rutgers (M.L.S.). His scholarly interests include book history, provenance research, and the history of collecting. He has taught at Drew University on the latter topic.