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Adolf Hitler
Page 26
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 At the end of book |
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 The book in the protective cover |
A Personalized Copy of Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler (Item AH 26-1) |
DESCRIPTION: Personalized in the fact that it has Hitler’s personal bookplate inside the front cover. This is a 1935 edtion published by the Central Offfice of the NSDAP Franz Eher Verlag in Munich. This edition is in beautiful mint condition with the velum cover and leather back binder. The bookplate inside is also in perfect condition and measures 3 ½ x 4. 782 pages -- the book has a crest in golden color, the front cover that employs a rampant lion. Somethimes the Fuhrer would make an order of several Mein Kampfs from district printing centers in various sections of Germany and the books would have the district (Wappen) or coat of arms on the covers. It is a well established fact that copies of Mein Kampf were kept at several of the Fuhrers home locations and offices, and under the auspices of Martin Bormann copies with the bookplate were often given to loyal Party functionaries but since Hitler himself was not present while the book was presented they were invariably not signed nor dedicated to the person receiving them. This is just such an issue but it does have the stamp that proclaims (Nachlass Adolf Hitler). These means from the property of Adolf Hitler. Is it unusual that the leader would allow a book with his personal bookplate to be given away to someone who its possible he never even met. The answer is yes, most definitely! Because in his outlook and psyche he believed he personally owned nothing and he firmly believed that the buildings, the homes, the art that he had managed to possess belonged to the German people and they were only temporarily in his stewardship. Regardless of what can be said of him in the negative, he indeed was a man of his people rising from remote and obscure beginnings to become the world’s most powerful man hated by many and adored by many. We feel that this identification with the people that practically no other world leader ever enjoyed makes the limited distribution of these books completely understandable from his point of view. However, the fact remains that these editions are very rare especially in this condition -- we managed to buy several books with Hitler’s bookplate at a special book sale at Frankfurt am Main a few years ago. We were fortunate to not only purchase these priceless volumes but also books having belonged to Josef Goebbels, Hermann Goring, Reinhard Heydrich and other famous personalities, as well as quite a few books from the library of the Totenkopf Standarte Oberbayern. Their library was seized back in the post war years and the entire library came up for sale at that Frankfurt sale. The Hitler books were by far the most precious of the archival offerings and this one the creme d’ la crème! It is priced reasonably and in a way we hate to see it go but this is our business after all and we can’t keep it all! Iin the book by Timothy W. Ryback “Hitler’s Private Library’ among the footnotes, the author makes several references to the fact that Hitler maintained private libraries at his residencies in Berlin, Munich, and the Obersalzberg as well as book depository at the “Fuhrer Archive” in the basement of the N.S. party Headquarters in the brown house in Munich and except for a partial inventory of the Reichs Chancellary in Berlin which is preserved at the Hoover Institute at Sanford University there is according to the author no surviving catalogue of Hitler’s book collection. And earlier in the book by Ryback he says that thousands more of the library of the Fuhrer lie in the attics and bookshelves in the homes of veterans across the United States and occasionally random volumes find their way to the public. On page 100 of the book there is a picture of a book presented to Adolf Hitler in 1933 by Leni Riefenstahl and you can see the book plate that the Fuhrer added to it. This volume also has the outer protective cover (sleeve). The book is in perfect condition but the outer sleeve at some time had to be repaired with glue; this does not really detract from it visibly. This is one of the most important historical items that one could ever obtain in the field of Third Reich collectables. PRICE: SOLD |
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 Pure ivory |
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 The back |
A Genuine Hand Painted Portrait of the Fuhrer on Ivory with Ivory Frame (Item AH 26-2) |
DESCRIPTION: This is a German tradition that goes back for centuries. It became customary to encase hand painted portraits on elephant ivory of famous personages in frames that were constructed also in genuine ivory. The ivory was fitted by hand from plainchants that were usually purchased from piano manufacturers and as you can see some of the pieces were the size of piano keys. See our Fredrick the Great section where you will see more of this particular art form as historically used. The frame measures 4 ¾ x 6 inches. The picture with the inner copper bezil measures 3 ½ x 2 ¾. The likeness of the German Fuhrer is no less than astounding! In artistic presentation it depicts him as he looked shortly after his assumption of complete political power in 1933. He wears the famous overcoat that he wore all during the Kampfzeit (the struggle for power). His ever penetrating blue eyes are fixed upon Germany’s future and the entire countenance is strong yet deeply inspirited. The tones and detail are fabulous as the depiction captures the depth and perception of the man who Time Magazine called the Man of the Year in 1933 with his picture on their cover. He beat out Roosevelt who also was elected in that year. This is not only an art treasure, but a prodigiously important piece of history (completely unique!). PRICE: $2,850.00 A great investment piece |
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 Hitler's return to Germany |
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Book: Hitler in Italian 126 Bilder (Hitler in Italy 126 Pictures) from Hitler’s Library (Item AH 26-3) |
DESCRIPTION: Several years ago we went to a special sale of books from famous Third Reich personalities held at the annual rare book fair in Frankfurt am Main Germany. We managed to buy quite a few books that had formally belonged to Hitler, Goring, Goebbels, Reinhard Heydrich as well as books from some of the SS Kaserne, such as the Totenkopf mountain division. Also there were books from the personal library of Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler’s personal photographer. This was a literal bonanza of books from these historic figures. One of the greatest of our purchases in years. The greatest of the purchased books were of course the ones from Hitler’s Library collections. To find out more about some of the books that bear the bookplate of the Fuhrer please go to our Hitler section page 26 items AH 26-1. There is an explanation of not only how we purchased them but also an explanation of how they were originally distributed. When Adolf Hitler gave gifts no matter how expensive or inexpensive he did not make signed presentations with the exception of the silver framed photographs of himself and those were given to important personalities or close friends only. However many copies of Mein Kampf were given to guests and other books as well. This is a rare edition of Heinrich Hoffmann’s soft cover book chronicling Hitler’s visit to the Italian leader Benito Mussolini in May of 1938. He stayed for over a week between the 3rd and 10th of May. He traveled to Rome by train. In Rome the King of Italy and Mussolini picked him up at the station. By automobile they went to the Palazzo Quirinale where a meeting was held. Then they drove throughout the city in an open car. There was a great military parade that Hitler excitedly attended and with the Duce they laid a garland of flowers at Lapazo .On the second day there was another military parade on the Via Del Fori Imperiali. At every day of his visit he was ultra impressed with everything to include visits to the Pantheon, the Coliseum, and The Roman Forum.etc. He visited Napoli, Florence, Feltre (near Belluno) and Venice, he was overwhelmed by all the past and present glories of the Fascist state. When he returned home and Hoffmann showed him a copy of the book we offer, Hitler ordered quite a few copies to be sent to him in Berlin and he caused quite a few to be distributed to party and military leaders with his bookplate inside. These were mostly given out selectively by SS Standartenfuhrer Hans Woltz, the SS librarian working at the Chancellery and the Braun Haus. When the book was to be given in his name, there was usually a small officially printed note with greetings from the Fuhrer and listing the name of the recipient. We had one of these notes about five years ago but it was sold and we have not seen one since. Woltz also stamped these gift copies with a stamp that reads (Nachlass Adolf Hitler) “Property of Adolf Hitler” (unusual?). Read about it at AH 26-1 of the Hitler Section above. The sheer majesty of Rome and the total solidarity of the Italian people under Benito Mussolini and the photographic excellence of Hoffman’s book so completely captures Hitler’s admiration that is completely understandable that he would allow Woltz to give some of these books with his personalization to be very selectively given out. This Hoffman book is replete with some of the finest photo history that the era had ever seen. We do show a few of the pictures but take notice that there are 126 pictures in the volume every one of which are masterpieces of black and white photogrpahy. One of the most important archival treasures that we have been proud to present. PRICE: $485.00 |
Page Twenty-six |
Please refer to item designator in parentheses in all correspondence.