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Original early-20th-century H.C. White Co. “Perfec” stereograph #4720, showing one of the most famous architectural vistas of Imperial St. Petersburg, Russia.
The printed caption identifies the scene as:
“Alexander Column and the Czar’s Winter Palace, seen thru the War Office Arch, St. Petersburg, Russia.”
Copyright 1901 by H.C. White Co.
The photograph was taken from beneath the monumental arch of the General Staff Building, historically referred to on the card as the “War Office Arch,” looking across Palace Square. The Alexander Column rises prominently in the center, with the immense Winter Palace, residence of the Russian emperors, filling the background.
The Library of Congress identifies this historic viewpoint as the Alexander Column and Winter Palace seen through the triumphal arch of the General Staff Building.
The card captures Palace Square during the final decades of Imperial Russia, with pedestrians and horse-drawn carriages visible beneath and beyond the arch. The Winter Palace later became part of the State Hermitage Museum.
The mount is marked:
The “PERFEC” STEREOGRAPH
Patented April 14, 1903 — Other Patents Pending
H.C. WHITE CO., PUBLISHERS — London, New York, Paris
Although the photographic image carries a 1901 copyright, this particular “Perfec” mount necessarily dates from approximately 1903 or later.
Condition: Good antique condition with expected age-related surface scratches, rubbing and scattered marks to the photographic images; edge and corner wear to the mount, including small areas of edge loss/wear. Images remain clear with strong architectural detail. Please review all photographs closely for exact condition.
A particularly attractive original stereoscopic view for collectors of Imperial Russia, Romanov history, St. Petersburg, the Winter Palace, Hermitage, Alexander Column, Palace Square, Russian architecture and antique photography.
