He picked up the phone: "I order to invite Comrade Mercader!".

10 December 2017 20:29

Translation from Russian into English: 11 December 2017 00:21

Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Сказка о знатоках литературы'.

LXI. Kamensky Andrei (1843- ). Being attempting to banish the darkness. Biographic essay

1. The first Russian-language book about Thomas Edison

Having begun to write the book about regularities of intellectual success on the example of Heinrich Schliemann, Nikola Tesla, Thomas Edison (in comparison), I have found only three Russian-speaking authors - Thomas Edison's contemporaries who have written more or less weighty, more or less system biographic works about Thomas Edison:

(1) Andrei Kamensky (1843-?),

(2) Mikhail Lapirov-Skoblo (1889-1947),

(3) Lev Belkind (1896-1969).

Thomas Edison was and remains the famous personality, is written about him much (notes, articles in newspapers, magazines, encyclopedias, other works).

Three above-named authors are allocated according to signs of "weightness" and "systemacity" of works: they are authors of books about Edison.

Both Mikhail Lapirov-Skoblo, and Lev Belkind personally saw Thomas Edison during the trips to the USA, respectively in 1926 and in 1928. (Data contain in their books: M.Ya. Lapirov-Skoblo "Edison", L.D. Belkind "Thomas Alva Edison. 1847-1931". [Russian-language publications]).

Books by M.Ya. Lapirov-Skoblo (the first edition) and by L.D. Belkind have been published, respectively, in 1935 and in 1964 while T. Edison has died in 1931.

We come to a conclusion, comparing dates that M.Ya. Lapirov-Skoblo's and L.D. Belkind's books weren't, at least, in the finished variant, are written during lifetime of T. Edison.

Thus, the first book, about Thomas Edison, and the only book created during Edison's lifetime, written by the Russian-speaking author is the biographic essay by Andrey Kamensky, published in 1891 in the Pavlenkov's pre-revolutionary series "Life of Remarkable People" (the repeated publication of this essay in the same series has taken place in 1900 - also during lifetime of T. Edison. Edison had liked the book? - We can only guess...).

We will give data on this book, having taken them from Wikipedia, from the article "Life of Remarkable People (1890-1924)":

Kamensky A.V. Edison and Morse: Their life and scientifically practical activities. Two biographical essays. 1891. - 80 pages. - 8100 number of copies. [Каменский А. В. Эдисон и Морзе: Их жизнь и научно практическая деятельность. Два биографических очерка. 1891. - 80 с. - 8100 экз.]

Now this biographic work is, as a rule, not presented in an original form, it "is divided", probably for convenience of readers, into two essays, into two books: "Edison" and "Morse".

("The first book, about Thomas Edison, and the only book created during Edison's lifetime": let will correct who has the reasons; I will be grateful).

Both essays by A.V. Kamensky - both "Edison", and "Morse" - are presented and in electronic libraries, and in the Internet book trading.

2.The circumstances of life are not known

The book by A.V. Kamensky is written very honestly and respectably.

I have become interested: who is he, the Kamensky Andrey Vasilyevich?

July 27-29, 2016 I have "came in online".

Best known encyclopedic Internet source: No article on such a person. But there is some information in the adjacent project (the Internet Resource).

Wikisource, the free library. "Andrey Vasilievich Kamensky." Years of life are indicated: 1843 - 1913. Writer and translator from the English language.

What is mentioned from among his literary works?

The "Translations" are named. And are listed: Resolves of the House of Burgesses [Virgin Resolutions] (1769) US Declaration of Independence Articles of Confederation Constitution of the USA. Essay "Edison" is not mentioned.

On the site http://az.lib.ru/k/kamenskij_a_w/about.shtml)/Классика there is a section: "Kamensky Andrei Vasilievich: Works and translations". Here (Lib.Ru) the reference information "About the author" is given: '- Russian writer and translator from the English language. Born in 1843. Circumstances of life are not established'. "He wrote seven biographical essays for the library of F. Pavlenkov (" The Life of Remarkable People "). He translated Charles Dickens, Bulton Litton, E. Channing ("The History of the United States of North America"), etc. Judging by the bibliography, literature and translations were not the main financial source of A.V. Kamensky ". Where he lived: Russia, St. Petersburg.

The mention of "Edison" is, but, on the contrary, there is no information about the Kamensky's translations of the "Resolves of the House of Burgesses" (1769), the Declaration of independence, the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. Constitution.

On the same Internet resource Lib.Ru additional information (useful?): It is possible to confuse Andrei Vasilyevich Kamensky with the translator Alexei Vasilyevich Kamensky (born in 1887), who "in particular since 1912 participated in the publication of the collection of works by Jack London" .

The surname is widespread, even historical surname.

So: "the circumstances of life are not known", "circumstances of life are not set".

We will try to make a situation more clear, more understandable, taking advantage of opportunities one of the most popular Russian Internet search engines.

Library of the Russian literature (website http://lib ru.3dn.ru/publ/kamenskij_andrej_vasilevich_bibliografija/1 1 0 1846). Concisely and clear: "Kamensky, Andrey Vasilyevich (1843)."

The point. The dot. As that is too laconic. We will imagine that not a point, but - ellipsis...

(On the other hand, for the writer - it is unreal honorary. Literary immortality ...).

Website "All-Russian Family Tree" (http://baza.vgdru.com/1/14617/10.htm).

There is a figure of "elected official" of "Zemstvo" (the member of local elected body of pre-revolutionary Russia - Member of the Municipal elected authority).

I provide information completely and without any corrections: "KAMENSKY ANDREY VASILYEVICH 1843. Journalist, translator. Mechanical engineer. The elected official (member) of Nogorodsky zemstvo. He have got an education in the Royal College, London".