$7,250.00
Condition: Excellent +
In stock
Product Description: An extraordinary and exceedingly scarce deluxe pre-publication portfolio titled The Face of the Führer, containing 16 finely mounted photographic portraits of Adolf Hitler, each individually captioned with the year and a descriptive annotation. This portfolio is believed to predate, and directly inform, the 1942 printed edition of Das Antlitz des Führers (The Face of the Leader), published by Zeitgeschichte-Verlag in Berlin. It likely served as a high-quality presentation set or publisher’s proof used to secure final approval prior to mass production of the book.
Each photograph, taken from original negatives by Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler’s personal photographer and key propagandist, measures approximately 9 1/4 x 6 3/4 inches, meticulously mounted on heavyweight backing sheets measuring 15 1/2 x 11 1/4 inches. The images trace Hitler’s transformation from obscure early years to his role as head of state, presenting a curated visual narrative central to National Socialist image-making.
Housed in its original velum-style presentation folder, featuring a gold-embossed Reichsadler (eagle) insignia on the front cover, the portfolio exudes the formal gravitas typical of high-level Third Reich publications intended for internal or elite party use.
The portraits are in excellent+ condition, exceptionally clean and well-preserved, with sharp detail and rich tonal quality. Mounts are crisp, showing only minimal age toning at the edges. The original cover is in excellent condition overall, exhibiting minor discoloration and gentle surface wear consistent with age and handling, but with the gold embossing still bright and sharply defined.
A truly rare and historically significant artifact, offering an early, large-format glimpse into one of the most influential photographic propaganda projects of the Third Reich. An important acquisition for serious collectors of WWII ephemera, propaganda studies, or Hoffmann’s photographic work.
Historical Description: Heinrich Hoffmann (1885–1957) was Adolf Hitler’s personal photographer and one of the most influential propagandists of the Third Reich. A longtime member of the Nazi Party, Hoffmann used his camera to craft and control Hitler’s public image from the 1920s through the end of World War II. His work was central to shaping the Führer’s mythos—presenting Hitler in heroic, messianic, or deeply humanizing terms through tightly managed visual narratives.
Hoffmann’s photographs became the foundation of Nazi visual propaganda, appearing in newspapers, posters, books, and postcards. He held exclusive rights to publish Hitler’s likeness, making him both powerful and wealthy. His studio functioned as a propaganda engine, producing imagery that aligned with party ideals of discipline, devotion, and nationalism. More than a chronicler, Hoffmann was a visual architect of the Nazi regime’s public persona.
He published numerous photo books, including Hitler wie ihn keiner kennt (Hitler As Nobody Knows Him, 1933), Mit Hitler im Westen (With Hitler in the West, 1940), and Das Antlitz des Führers (The Face of the Leader, 1939–42), which traced Hitler’s rise through a curated series of portraits. Some editions appeared in deluxe large-format portfolios, likely used as prototypes for wider publication.
After the war, Hoffmann was arrested and tried during the Allied denazification process. Though not a major war criminal, he was convicted as a “Major Offender” for his role in spreading Nazi ideology and served four years in prison. His legacy today remains controversial—his photographs are studied not for artistic merit, but for their powerful role in advancing totalitarian propaganda.
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