Georges REMI, known as HERGÉ (1907-1983) TINTIN IN THE LAND OF THE SOVIETS 2nd plate white and neutral, 1930, Back blue percaline 1st thousand, first edition numbered and signed "Tintin" by Hergé and "Snowy" by his future wife Germaine Kieckens. Published on Monday 1 September 1930. The publication of this first album published by Abbé Wallez on its own account was announced on 5 June 1930 in Le Vingtième siècle. A call for subscriptions for the first 500 copies (of which this album is one) was made on this occasion: they are signed and numbered. These first 500 albums were offered at 18 FB instead of 20 FB, which meant that, even before the release, there were already more than 2,600 requests! On Monday 1 September 1930, the first albums were distributed on the Vingtième siècle stand at the Catholic Press Exhibition at the Institut Saint Louis, boulevard du Jardin Botanique. The previous week, Hergé and Germaine Kieckens had signed the first 500 numbered copies in Abbé Wallez's office. Despite its initial success, as with Tintin's Adventures in the Congo and America published by Le Petit Vingtième, we know that Tintin did not get off to a flying start and that after 1934, when Casterman took over Le Petit Vingtième's stocks, there were still many albums to be sold, the last of which was sold in 1942. It is certain that even if ten different runs of a thousand were printed for each album. Each series did not consist of a thousand albums. This is also proven in the case of Tintin in America, for which we find copies in runs of 6, 7, 8, 9 and even 10 thousand, whereas only 5,400 albums were actually published. So, even if we don't know the actual number of Tintin in the Land of the Soviets published by Le Petit Vingtième, we can estimate that it would be closer to 5,000 than 10,000. It is important to note that the quality of the albums, in terms of the printing of the image on the front cover, the paper and the spines, means that it is very rare to find Petit Vingtième first editions in good, unrestored condition. The low frequency with which first editions of Tintin au Pays des Soviets, au Congo and en Amérique Petit Vingtième have appeared in good condition at public auction since 1989 makes these albums rare. This particular album was last auctioned on 1 April 2006 at Artcurial, where it fetched the record sum of €61,180. It is the absolute reference for Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, and is an exceptional piece. Superb album in excellent condition. First cover very white, without marks or scratches, with deep colours and prickly headpieces and corners; fourth cover also white with prickly corners and also without marks or scratches. Spine not rebound. Interior in perfect condition. A mythical album in a signed and numbered first edition. Hergé/Tintinimaginatio 2024