William Alfred Westropp Foyle was a British bookseller and businessman who co-founded Foyles bookshop in 1903 with his brother Gilbert Foyle. William Foyle was one of the leading London booksellers of the 20th century. In 1903 he opened his first bookshop with his brother Gilbert and by the late 1920s the business had grown so that their bookstore in Charing Cross Road held a stock of four million volumes on over thirty miles of bookshelves, the name of Foyle had become synonymous with bookselling in London, his vision for the business was a bookshop for the world - for every one from any station in life - "The People's Bookshop". His inspiration was James Lackington's late 18th century "Temple of Muses" at Chiswell Street, London; the Foyle brothers were determined to create the greatest bookshop in the world. Foyles became popular with customers and members of the public throughout the world. In 1930, Foyle's nineteen-year-old daughter, brought together famous writers and distinguished figures, along with members of the public, to create the world's first public literary luncheon.
During World War II, William Foyle purchased Beeleigh Abbey, a 12th-century monastery on the River Chelmer at Maldon, Essex. Although Foyle had collected books from an early age, it was at Beeleigh Abbey that he was able to house the books properly, forming one of the largest English private libraries of the 20th century. From 1963 to 1999 Christina Foyle maintained the Beeleigh estate. In July 2000 the library was sold at auction by Christie's auction house; the three day sale realised some £12,000,000, the most expensive item, a Medieval French work, selling for £883,750. It was the single most valuable collection of books to be sold at auction in Britain or Europe. Foyles Bookshop
Lev Philippovitch Wolkenstein was a Russian jurist and cadet. He was born as Isaak-Leib Fishelevich Wolkenstein at 1858 in Taganrog. Lev Wolkenstein was brother of Michael Philippovitch Wolkenstein, a Russian lawyer. Lev Wolkenstein studied at Taganrog Classical Male Gymnasium at the same time as Anton Chekhov; when Chekhov was at seventh grade and Wolkenstein was at undergraduate eighth grade, all students at Wolkenstein's class except Wolkenstein rejected to write essay prescribed for them. This caused conflict between his classmates. One of them called Wolkenstein as "zhyd" and Wolkenstein slapped him in the face. For this assault and battery Wolkenstein had been expelled from gymnasium. After that Chekhov had induced classmates to write a collective statement that all of them will leave gymnasium if Wolkenstein will not be reinstated; that had effect and he had been reinstated and graduated from gymnasium. Wolkenstein studied at faculty of law of Saint Petersburg State University. At 1888 he took part in a trial on case of poisoning.
Maximenko has been accused in poisoning of her husband but she had been acquitted. A famous Russian lawyer Fedor Plevako and prison doctor Mark Krasso took part at that trial. At 1890-s Wolkenstein became a layer of Novocherkassk court board and juror lawyer. At 1890 he bought a house in Rostov-on-Don at corner of Staro-pochtovaya street and Kazansky lane and made great repair of it. From mid 1890-s Wolkenstein lived in this house with his wife Sofia Efremovna Wolkenstein, his daughters and his young son Yuri/Georg Wolkenstein. Chekhov was coming to this Wolkenstein's house and discussing with Wolkenstein about staging of Chekhov's vaudevilles and plays in theatres of Rostov-on-Don. According to Chekhov, at 1896 Wolkenstein had dacha in Kislovodsk; some rooms in house in Rostov-on-Don Wolkenstein could lease so this house at Staro-pochtovaya stret/Kazansky lane became a revenue house. Revenue house of Wolkenstein building still exist and now it is a regional architectural monument. Wolkenstein and Chekhov both liked performances.
Asmolov theatre founded by Vladimir Ivanovich Asmolov was biggest and most famous theatre in Rostov-on-Don at that time. In 1910 Vladimir Asmolov has sold this theatre to Iosif Moiseevich Fain. Wolkenstein had been writing scripts for several theatrical performances, for example and Doves vaudeville, he was working as jurist for Priazovsky Kray newspaper. Wolkenstein had emigrated from Russia, he wrote for Illustrated Russia magazine. In this magazine at 1934 he published his own memorials about Anton Chekhov.20 May 1935 Lev Wolkenstein died in Paris. His widow Sofia Efremovna Wolkenstein lived several years more 4 January 1940 she died in Vulaines and had been buried at Nouveau Cimetiere de Neuilly; the son of Lev Wolkenstein, George Wolkenstein was the founder of the French branch of the family, Alexis Wolkenstein, his son, Pierre Wolkenstein and Marie-Sophie Wolkenstein, his grand children and Paul, Louis, Héloïse and Simon Wolkenstein, his great grand children living in Paris. Варламова, Ирина.
"Вера, Чехов, любовь". Российская газета. Волошинова, Вера. "Чехов и Ростов-на-Дону". Молот. Ростов-на-Дону: Молот. Волошинова, Вера. "Ростов-на-Дону: дом Льва Волкенштейна". Молот. Ростов-на-Дону: Молот: 6. Волошинова, В. Ф.. Ф.. "Гимназический друг и театрал". Ант. Чехов и Ростов-на-Дону: литературно-краеведческое исследование ростовского круга А. П. Чехова. Ростов-на-Дону: Странник. ISBN 978-5-902477-66-2. Габибова, О. В.. "Чеховский Ростов". Копилка уроков. В. Н. Чуваков, ed.. Незабытые могилы: российское зарубежье: некрологи 1917-1997: в 6 т.. 1: А-В. Москва: Пашков дом. p. 604. ISBN 5-7510-0169-9