Inscribed - House of Veterans
M.G. (Maria Gavrilovna) Savina 1874-1909
Thirty-Five Years on the Imperial Stage
St. Petersburg, T. R. Golike and A. Vilborg, (1909)
Album of 136 photoportraits of Savina as a child, young woman and in her various theatrical roles
Landscape format (25 x 16.2 cm)
Printed card covers
50 sheets (136 photos)
Each page with tissue guard
Some light foxing (also to tissue-guards), a few spots
Occasional creasing
One or two minor marks to covers
A VG copy

With long inscription (verso of title-page) to what looks like an Olga Leopardova Navotka (?), in connection with the Maria Savina Theater Veteran’s Home (House of Veterans) dated 5/XI/1954, signature unidentified

(If you can identify the signature please let us know)

Maria Gavrilovna Savina (1854-1915) was a leading Russian actress progressing from an actress in provincial theaters to starring roles at the Alexandrinsky Theater, and chairman of the Russian Theater Society. In 1896 she founded a shelter for retired actors (now the “House of Stage Veterans of the All-Russian Theatre Society”). The present building founded in 1902 in St Petersburg was renamed the Maria Savina Veteran’s Home in 1931, it was restored after being damaged in WW2