Aleksander Czechowski, A Description of the Lands Inhabited by Poles: From a Geographical, Ethnographic, Historical, Artistic, Industrial, Commercial, and Statistical Perspective [1903–1904]

Title: A Description of the Lands Inhabited by Poles: From a Geographical, Ethnographic, Historical, Artistic, Industrial, Commercial, and Statistical Perspective.

Author: Aleksander Czechowski [editor of the work, associated with the Warsaw-based “Gazeta Polska”]

Publisher: Warsaw, Published by the Editorial Board of “Gazeta Polska.” Printed by J. Sikorski, 14 Warecka Street.

Year of publication: 1903–1904.

Format: 27 cm.

Volume: 13 issues (nos. 14–20, 22–26, and 34), totaling 416 pages.

Binding: paperback / newsprint.

Published in Warsaw in 1903–1905 by the editorial staff of *Gazeta Polska* under the editorship of Aleksander Czechowski “A Description of the Lands Inhabited by Poles” is an encyclopedic and regional studies monograph that systematized the state of knowledge about Polish lands at the dawn of the 20th century. The title defines the adopted criterion: since national borders had divided Polish lands among the three partitioning powers, the only category unifying the entire description was the extent of Polish settlement. The subtitle outlines the structure of the work, ranging from geography and ethnography, through history and art, to industry, trade, and statistics, making the work both a regional guide and a compendium of economic data. Contributors to the work included, among others, Bolesław Koskowski and Jan Karłowicz, while Edward Nicz was responsible for the illustrations; Zygmunt Gloger is also listed among the authors in bibliographic entries. Volume One was devoted to the Polish lands in Prussia (East and West Prussia, the Grand Duchy of Poznań, and Prussian Silesia), while Volume Two was devoted to the Kingdom of Poland. The publication appeared in installments, following the system typical of serial publications of the time, available by subscription; the lot offered here comprises thirteen such installments.

Aleksander Czechowski, listed on the title page as the author, served as the editor-in-chief of the work; other biographical details remain unknown. The project was endorsed by the editorial staff of *Gazeta Polska*, a Warsaw daily newspaper, which acted here as the publisher of its own book-length publication. The printing was carried out at J. Sikorski’s printing house at 14 Warecka Street.

Provenance: The covers of the issues bear notes regarding duplicates, which are traces of a former inventory; the institution that made these notes and the time of this operation remain unknown.

A valuable resource for researchers of regional studies and statistics on Polish lands under foreign partition, economic historians, and collectors of old serial publications and works on Warsaw.

Incomplete set: issues nos. 14–20; issue no. 21 is missing, followed by nos. 22–26 and no. 34. The pieces are clean, the pages are intact, and the paper is free of stains and yellowing (except for the notes described in the provenance section). The paper covers are in good condition.

Catalog ID: 13495-27-A-X