Nicolas-Gabriel Clerc (1726-1798). Histoire physique, morale, civile et politique de la Russie ancienne. Paris: Froulle, 1783-1785. 6 vols. and atlas. H82: atlas

Nicolas-Gabriel Clerc (1726-1798). Histoire physique, morale, civile et politique de la Russie ancienne. Paris: Froulle, 1783-1785. 6 vols. and atlas. H82: atlas

Put Her in a Pumpkin Shell... The palatial Peterhof or Petrodvorets, Peter's favorite home, was 30 versts or about 20 miles from the old St. Petersburg. Was it indeed still part of larger Petersburg today? We discovered that although it's still outside the city limits, the palace complexes (Peterhof, Lomonosov, Gatchina, Tsarskoe Selo) to the south of the city are associated with St. Petersburg as architectural objects in the city itself, as much as Polish king Jan Sobieski's summer residence, Wilanow, has always been associated with Warsaw, in its day well outside the Warsaw city limits. Indeed, the foundation for town planning was laid during the building of St. Petersburg and fundamental principles were then established for buildings such as the Peterhof and other cultural, government and residential buildings. This plate shows the old-style onion domes in the distance and extensive gardens, playgrounds, water fountains surrounded by the walls of the palace itself. At night the gardens were illuminated, and from the fleet in the harbor, guests were entertained with fire-works and "flaming meteors." Nicolas-Gabriel Clerc was physician to the Corps of Cadets at St. Petersburg. This beautiful volume, the atlas to a set extremely scarce in a complete state, has the extra plates and maps intended for subscribers only.

H82