An Album from a Waffen SS (Totenkopf) Officer (Item ALBUM 3-1)

DESCRIPTION: Here is a great SS album. From the way the pictures are laid out we deduce that the officer pictured on two pages of the album must be the former owner of the album. He is pictured wearing the double skull collar tabs on each side of the collar, this style was introduced in 1939 for the newly formed SS Totenfopfverbande. So, this will show that the officer in the picture should have been photographed somewhere in 1939 or as late as May 1940 but actually some SS TK members continued to wear the double skulls late into the war. He seems to be an Obersturmfuhrer if the pips are but one - - however it is hard to make out if there is one pip and another device or if indeed there are two pips and then he would be a  (Captain) SS  Hauptsturmfuhrer. This album is truly historically significant and rather charming. It opens with a large picture of the officer’s wife or girl friend with a very cute little puppy. She holds the puppy in such a way that suggests she has mailed this to her husband or lover at the front. The pictures depict scenes from when he was a recruit with one where he is being issued his uniforms along with other recruits right up through his getting the famous army hairdo. A humorous one shows him or a buddy learning to pee while dressed in overcoat and tunic. Quite a few pictures of troop inspections and comradely posed photos. There are several pictures of the unit on the march and a great one 7" x 5" of the unit at a ceremonial observance. There are the usual “horsing around” photos just like in any army. A couple of pages of camp scenes in the barracks. A really great one of a meeting for dinner with a picture of Adolf Hitler on the wall.  At this table are Waffen SS men, Luftwaffe personal, Kriegsmarine, etc.  On the last page is a card with a song “Yes, True is the Soldier's Love.” This is a very meaningful and important SS album; one of the nicest ones that we have had for sentimental reasons and yet with militaristic importance, also a relic from a division that covered themselves with glory and personified the SS mission.

PRICE: $990.00

Album: Personalized Memory Book for Service in RAD (Item RAD 6-3 & ALBUM 3-2)

DESCRIPTION: This is a book that was given to Orbeitsmen (Verker Service Men) in some work districts in commemoration of their time spent in this the RAD Reich Arbeits Dienste. This one was the Arbeitgau (Secton) XXIX in the Bavarian (Ost Mark), the East. It is known as a ‘Erinnerungsbuch’ book of memory and it was owned by the worker Josef Biller, born 29 August 1928, and he did his compulsary service from 1 April 1938 to 15 April 1939 in Section 7/297. The document inside is signed by the Oberfeldmeister. The book opens with portraits of Adolf Hitler with the Reichsarbeitsfuhrer heil and another picture of the leader of this section (Arbeitsgaves XXIV Laur).  The book has 63 printed pages with many great pictures of men at work and parade, ceremonies, etc. At the back there are some more pages of actual unpublished pictures that were taken by the owner of the book, Arbeitsmann Josef Biller. He shows the camp, the leader,  himself, his comrades, their projects and two great pictures of them clowning around.  Thirtenn in all in the 3 ½" by 2 ½" size. Then there are 11 of the postage stamp size pictures of further activities. The book is in great shape and seldom does an actual personalized one show up.

PRICE: $125.00

DESCRIPTION: This should be considered an extremely rare album, although Waffen SS albums do sometimes surface, it is very seldom that we see one that is from the Allgemeine SS ‘Black’ SS. The album starts with pictures of the owner in his school days ( this is usual), various pictures are shown of swimming, hiking, a great shot of a Zeppelin, then several pages on the seashore. The school comrades giving the Heil Hitler salute and a picture of an SA officer (the owner’s father?). Then pictures of presumably the owner in Allgemeine SS uniform on a motorcycle with side car, and then some great 5" x 3" photos of him (possibly) at a switchboard, typing, and in a stockroom where all the equipment is stored, gas masks, fur packs, ammo containers etc., then 8 more of the larger pictures of combat exercises are seen, then there are 170 of those postage stamp size photos that you only see in albums of the 1920’s or 30’s -- about 1 inch square. They occupy several pages and are interspersed with other larger pictures, some of them are very interesting when viewed with a magnifying glass. There is a great couple of photos of a special SS ceremony in 5 ½" x 3 ½" size. Several beer drinking sequences and some great group poses plus what looks like the beginning of a baby baptism with the traditional baby crib of the N.S tradition shown. Picture after picture of the great singular pleasure of being an SS man.  Lots more beer drinking, A visit to the Nuremberg party rally grounds, SS men posed in front of a giant N.S. eagle tapestry, eExercises with gas mask and rifles and finally some great goose stepping and photos of women of the Frauenshft. (his wife among them?).  Just a great SS album that moves to a closer realistic perception of the men of the Shutz-Staffel. (SS)

PRICE: $1,850.00