Alexander Solzhenitsyn - Complete Master Printing Archive for "The Gulag Archipelago" (Vol. 1) –1st Authorized Soviet Ed. - 1990

This lot comprises the complete set of master printing diapositives (film positives) used to produce the landmark 1990 Soviet edition of The Gulag Archipelago. This is a unique and comprehensive industrial archive representing the exact physical moment Alexander Solzhenitsyn’s suppressed masterpiece transitioned from underground Samizdat to official state publication.

Archive Contents & Inventory:
*15 Master Production Packages: Housed in original workshop-labeled paper envelopes.
*Sequential Completeness: Packages contain 1 or 2 internal folders, totaling 19 folders. The final package is numbered "18-19", confirming the full sequence for Volume 1 is present.
*Primary Sheet Count: With approximately 32 transparent high-contrast photo positives per folder, the archive totals 600+ individual sheets. This provides complete coverage for the entire 600+ page book.

Technical Assets:
*Full Text Masters: The complete textual body of Volume 1.
*Iconic Portrait Film: The primary master positive of the author's 1945 military portrait.
*Supplemental Films: Separate packages for individual page numbers used as technical overlays during the final layout/stripping stage.
*Graphic Elements: Master films for the stepped "Архипелаг ГУЛАГ" typography, table of contents, and copyright sheets.
*Technical Details & Provenance: The archive is explicitly tied to the historic March 1990 print run via the colophon diapositives:

Print Approval: 12.03.1990.
Print Run (Тираж): 180,000 copies.
Order Number: "Заказ 652" (Order 652).
Production Chain: Produced in the Tula printing house for the "Soviet Writer" (Moscow) and "Mastatskaya Litaratura" (Minsk) publishing group.
Rights: Authorized text featuring the "Russian Social Fund for Persecuted Persons" notice.

Condition: The films are stable and well-preserved with sharp text and clear registration marks. As typical for working industrial artifacts, some sheets show a minor "working patina" or faint residue visible only under direct light, confirming their actual use in the printing process. There are no signs of acetate degradation.

Historical Significance: While common copies of the 1990 book exist, the survival of a complete industrial master archive is exceptional. In the pre-digital era, these films were the final "blueprint" for the printing plates. This archive is a primary artifact of Glasnost-era culture and a monumental piece of 20th-century literary history.