KARL BAEDEKER (1801-1859), set: Guidebook + Phrasebook

(i)La Russie: manuel du voyageur: avec 14 cartes et 22 plans [Russia: traveler's handbook: with 14 maps and 22 plans]. - 2nd ed., revised and updated. Leipzig: Karl Baedeker, 1897. -447 p.; 36 maps, plans; 16x11 cm. In French In a publisher's full calf binding with gold embossing on the upper cover. Gilded edges "in imitation of peacock feathers." In very good condition. Minor stains, spots, traces of moisture on the binding and endpapers, darkening of page edges, foxing. (ii)Manuel de Langue Russe: Supplement au Guide en Russie Karl Baedeker [Russian Language Handbook: Supplement to the Guide in Russia by Karl Baedeker]. Leipzig: Karl Baedeker; Paris: Paul Ollendorff, 1897. - 108 p.; 16x10.7 cm. In French In a publisher's cardboard binding. In good condition. Minor wear, foxing. Karl Baedeker (1801-1859) was a German publisher who founded a publishing company in 1827 in Koblenz, specializing in guidebooks for various cities and countries. He became well-known during his lifetime for the unparalleled accuracy and publishing quality of the guidebooks bearing his name, known as "Baedekers," which quickly became synonymous with travel guide publications. In 1844, the "Baedekers" introduced a five-star rating system for attractions, which has since been adopted by other guidebooks. After the publisher's death, his sons continued the business, and in 1872, they relocated their firm to Leipzig. The "Baedekers," as well as their English and French adaptations, gained wide popularity outside of Germany, including in Russia. The company's trademark remained the reliability and comprehensiveness of the information even under its successors. It is rarely found in a set.