1901 Imperial Russian Cabinet Card Portrait St Petersburg Court Photo Pasetti For Sale

Up for purchase is an authentic, exceptionally rare original turn-of-the-century Russian cabinet card photograph. This portrait is a premier example of elite photography from the heart of the Russian Empire, captured just over a decade before the Russian Revolution.

Historical & Presentation Highlights:

• The Subject: As shown in CC 10.jpg, the portrait features a dapper, well-groomed gentleman with a prominent, classic Imperial-era beard and mustache. He is formally dressed in a dark evening suit jacket, a high-collared white shirt, and a crisp white bow tie.

• The Royal Photographer: The photograph was produced by the legendary studio of Antonio Pasetti (Anatoly Pasetti), one of the most prestigious photographers of St. Petersburg, who held the coveted appointment of Photographer to the Russian Imperial Court. The lower front margin of the card mount features Pasetti\'s name and address in elegant Russian Cyrillic script alongside the Imperial Double-Headed Eagle emblem (CC 10b.jpg). Additionally, Pasetti\'s elegant signature is beautifully blind-embossed directly into the lower right corner of the photograph layer itself (CC 10a.jpg).

• Ornate Exhibition Backmark & ID: The reverse side of the card is an artwork in itself, printed in a gorgeous, highly detailed slate-grey lithograph design detailing Pasetti\'s royal patrons and his \"Médaille d\'Or\" (Gold Medal) win at the Paris Exposition of 1900 (CC 10c.jpg). The back also features early period handwriting identifying the subject as a \"Mann mit Namen Zürkin\" (A man named Zürkin) and is explicitly dated 1901 at the very bottom edge (CC 10d.jpg).

📸 Buyer Note on Condition: Please closely inspect the high-resolution listing photos provided, including CC 10.jpg, CC 10a.jpg, CC 10b.jpg, CC 10c.jpg, and CC 10d.jpg. Antique photography naturally carries signs of its long journey through time; zooming in on these images will serve as your best guide to evaluating the precise physical condition, surface textures, and edge wear of this vintage piece before purchasing.

Condition Report:

• Image Quality: The photograph (CC 10.jpg) is in excellent antique condition with fantastic clarity, rich dark tones, and very crisp focus on the subject. Minimal surface wear or fading.

• Card Mount: The solid card mount has elegant silver/grey tinted edges. It shows very minor, expected corner wear and a tiny bit of edge fraying at the top reverse side (CC 10c.jpg), which does not affect the front presentation. The reverse lithograph is wonderfully clean, crisp, and highly legible.

An absolute must-have piece for serious collectors of Romanov-era memorabilia, Imperial Russian militaria/social history, or pre-revolutionary European photography.