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Mornay. A picture of St. Petersburgh, representing a collection of twenty interesting views of the city, the sledges, and the people taken on the spot at the twelve different months of the year, and accompanied with an historical and descriptive account. London: Edward Orme...printed by J.F. Dove, [text 1825 by watermark, plates Whatman 1831]. Contemporary half levant gilt, covers marbled paper over boards. 18 1/2 inches (47 cm); all edges plain, and possibly uncut. Title, 34 pp. text, with 20 very fine aquatint plates. These include 12 views of the city in all the months of the year (January as the frontispiece), with 8 additional plates of sledding and coaching scenes. Some joint and binding wear, front hinge separating but just holding on cords; occasional (mostly marginal) soiling to plates, the final plate with the guard-sheet removed (and absent), the plate starting to separate from the sewing as a consequence. The engraved title found in some copies is not present in this example.
This rare and attractive work is undated, but was initially published in 1815; the plates bear this date. Mornay's first name is unrecorded in all references consulted. His text first appears in Une Annee de Saint-Petersbourg ou douze vues pittoresques... [Paris, 1812]. The plates are engraved by John Heaviside Clark and Matthew Dubourg after Mornay's designs. Abbey, Travel 226; Tooley 355.