Elwiro Michal ANDRIOLLI, Konrad BRANDEL, Antoni MALCZEWSKI, Marya

Warsaw, 1879; published by Gebethner & Wolff, 35 x 27 cm;
8 photographs with illustrations by E. Andriolli; photographs ca. 19 x 15 cm;
each originally signed in dry-erase p. d.: Brandel;
publisher's binding, linen, decorative, relief type (extremely rare), gilt titlepage on front, surrounded by relief border. Printed on thick cardboard, text and illustrations in decorative double frame, decorative initials in woodcut.
Condition: rubbing of binding, characteristic spots, otherwise good condition.
Poland's first literary book illustrated with original photographs. The photographs of Andriolli's works were personally taken by Konrad Brandel, author of the unique photographic documentation of Warsaw at the end of the 19th century, constructor of Europe's first camera with automatic shutter, called photorevolver. He produced only about 100 of them just for orders from Fałat, Gierymski, Siemiradzki, among others. The invention brought Brandl great fame throughout Europe, and he received an order from Emperor Franz Joseph for it. J. Wiercinska writes: "Today books with original photographs are sought after by specialized collectors, who estimate their total number worldwide at only about 1,000 titles dating from 1850-1890."
"Marya" - the most famous novel by Antoni Malczewski, inspired by the tragic story of Countess Gertrude of Komorowski Potocki, who was kidnapped and drowned in 1771 at the behest of Franciszek Saleze Potocki, the father of her husband, Stanisław Szczęsny Potocki.
Lit. by A. Banach, Polska książka ilustrowana 1800-1900, Krakow - Wydawnictwo Literackie - 1959, p.450, item 743; J. Wiercińska, Sztuka i książka, PWN 1986, p.130-138.