John Booth
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John Booth, born in 1936, is a British author best known for his 1990 book The Art of Fabergé, a richly illustrated survey of the work of the celebrated St. Petersburg jeweller Peter Carl Fabergé. Peter Carl Faberge, son of a goldsmith in St Petersburg, made exotic jewellery where design and the creative use of precious materials predominated and he became a legend in Imperial Russia for his work. Booth's volume traces that story from its imperial beginnings through to its dramatic end, as the book illustrates the story of his rise, success, and eventual fall after the Revolution.
The book was published in large-format hardcover editions by houses including Bloomsbury, Wellfleet Press and Grange Books, and was praised on release as the ultimate tribute to the art and achievements of one of the world's great craftsmen, with superb illustrations revealing the range of Fabergé's technical brilliance as well as samples of the priceless treasures he created. It remains a frequently cited reference work for collectors and admirers of Russian decorative arts, valued for its lavish colour photography documenting the celebrated eggs, jewelled objects and gold- and enamel-work produced by the Fabergé firm.
Booth was a versatile writer beyond this single title, also producing works on other subjects such as Irish drinking traditions, reflecting a broader career as a nonfiction author working across popular reference and cultural history. First editions and well-preserved copies of The Art of Fabergé, particularly those retaining their original dust jackets, continue to circulate in the rare and antiquarian book trade, appealing to collectors of both Fabergé memorabilia and decorative arts literature.
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