Olgias

Very rare handwritten book about Queen Olga Constantinovna of Russia (1851-1926), consort of George I, King of Greece. Queen Olga, a member of the Romanov dynasty, spent her childhood in Saint Petersburg, Poland and Crimea, and married King George I of Greece in 1867 at the age of sixteen. She founded hospitals and schools, but her attempt to promote a new, more accessible, Greek translation of the Gospels sparked riots among religious conservatives. After the assassination of her husband in 1913, she returned to Russia. Upon her return to Athens in October 1920, after the death of her grandson King Alexander, she was appointed regent of Greece until the restoration of her son Constantine I, who a few years earlier had been deposed from the throne. After the defeat of the Greeks in the Greco-Turkish War of 1919–22, the Greek royal family was again exiled and Queen Olga spent the last years of her life in England, France and Italy. UC's copy is unique among world libraries. We would like to engage the services of an expert to examine its content and imprint.

Condition and treatment: This is a 19^th century handwritten manuscript bound in a gold-stamped silk case binding. This binding is in severe condition; the upper board and first leaf are detached, the spine is missing, and the textblock is inherently brittle and difficult to open. The gold stamping has corroded and discolored from gold to dark brown. Currently, the binding cannot be handled without causing further damage. Conservation staff will improve the book opening by removing brittle spine linings and relining with flexible and archival materials. The book will be resewn as needed. The case will be repaired and rebacked and reunited with the textblock. The binding will be housed in cloth covered clamshell with an integrated cradle.