Vera Vorontzoff

Vera Vorontzoff

Sonja Kovalevsky

Rendered into English by Anna von Rydingsvärd (Baroness von Proschwitz)

Boston/New York: Lamson Wolffe and Co

1895

1st American edition

This book has tan cloth covers with a very prominent weave that adds to the design of the book. Painted onto the front and back cover are designs that scream Russia in bold black and red while the star and the title are silver stamped onto the front cover between an Eastern Orthodox cross and a double headed eagle pendant on a broken Rosary. The same black and red cover from the front is repeated on the back cover only surrounded by a silver and black border while in the center there is a black and red design that looks fish-like with a silver heart stamped over it. The spine is plain with only the title, author, translator, and publisher's name silver stamped.
The paper is made of wood pulp, but it is of a thicker quality than usual and the foredge and bottom of the textblock are deckled (uncut). The top has been cut, and unlike the other silver stamped books in the collection, the top edge of the textblock has not been covered with silver, but gold.
The vignettes and design of the title page look like wood block engravings. There is a vignette at the end of each chapter.
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Sonja Vasilyevna Kovalevskaya was born into a Russian noble family and is considered the greatest lady mathematician before the 20th century. In order to study mathematics and leave Russia she married Vladimir Kovalevsky, a paleontologist, in 1868. Once in Austria and Germany she pursued her studies. She was the first woman to earn a doctorate in mathematics, among other firsts. Her incredible math skills and contribution to partial differential equations is what she is best remembered for. Her writings are mostly forgotten even though they were well-received during her lifetime.
Kovalevskaya lived from 1850-1891.
Information on Anna von Rydingsvärdes is sparse. She translated this novel from Russian and another one from Swedish into English.

Literature

SPECIAL PT9758 .K6 V42 1895

Hardcover book, 6.875 x 4.5 inches

English

This book can be seen in the photograph, Display Case 6.

Book