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of USM Inc. Those images and the text may be used by others ONLY AFTER completion
of a formal international licensing agreement and payment of a licensing fee!
sale for $875.00 delivered to any address in the continental USA. We will be happy to ship abroad at additional cost. Please inquire. USM book #291 |
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This is a nice used example of Leni Riefenstahl’s magnificent photographic chronicle of the beauty associated with the 1936 Olympic competition in Berlin, Germany. Riefenstahl was a well-known German photographer given the impossible task of creating a documentary of the Olympic Games as they played out in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Berlin. She succeeded even beyond her own expectations by creating a book and a movie that won countless international awards. When Riefenstahl came to the United States with her award winning movie to introduce it to the American public, she was unceremoniously run out of town by the domestic film industry and anti-German elements.
The reality is that the opportunity Riefenstahl had to document the preparations, ceremonies and competitions at the 1936 Olympics was masterfully handled by her invention of new techniques, new equipment and new approaches to filming grand events. In Germany and most of Europe, she was acknowledged for her triumph and objective film professionals and amateur viewers today also acknowledge the lasting importance of her Olympic work.
Most of the people who have seen her movie of the 1936 Olympics (OLYMPIA), have never even heard of the book we offer on this web page, SCHÖNHEIT IM OLYMPISCHEN KAMP (The Beauty of Olympic Competition). The big 282 page, very, very heavily illustrated hard cover book weighs almost 5 pounds. It is beautifully printed by the gravure process on heavy yellow art stock giving the extra large photos a realistic effect. It was published in 1937 by Deutscher Verlag AG in Berlin. Each of the pictures has a caption in German, French, English, Spanish and Italian.
IMPORTANT: this is NOT the standard version of this book as sold in Nazi Germany after the Olympics, but a special edition printed with a dedication on the first page that says MIT HERZLICHEN WEIHNACHTSGRÜSSEN 1937 (With Heartfelt Christmas Greetings) followed by a facsimile signature of Reichsminister Dr. Joseph Goebbels. Dr. Goebbels gave this book as a gift to someone at Christmas 1937.
There is a one page introduction over a facsimile signature of Leni Riefenstahl followed by several photos of Olympic material in Greece. There are photos of the Olympic facilities in Berlin and the sailing venue in Kiel as well as photographs associated with the making of the movie OLYMPIA. There are photos of Riefenstahl with Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten and with her photographers and technicians. There are photos of Führer und Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler, the opening ceremonies of the games, and the most famous athletes such as Jessie Owens, Luz Long, Sievert, Kuntsi, Stöck, Woellke, Torrence, Towns, Fleisher, Mauermayer, Lovelock, Sefton, Tajima, Clarck, Morris, Parker, Lippert, Stubbendorff, Wangenheim, etc.
In virtually every documentary of the 1936 Olympic Games or Leni Riefenstahl, the central thesis seems to be that Riefenstahl was an ardent Nazi and that Hitler and all the Nazis refused to acknowledge the amazing athletic ability and decent character of American runner Jesse Owens. There is nothing whatsoever in this book that would leave one with that impression. Quite the contrary, Riefenstahl went out of her way to acknowledge Owens and photograph him, even with his new German friend and competitor Luz Long (right). There is not a hint on the photos, text and captions that this was any sort of “Nazi Olympics” and no attempt at Nazi propaganda of any kind.
In virtually every documentary of the 1936 Olympic Games or Leni Riefenstahl, the central thesis seems to be that Riefenstahl was an ardent Nazi and that Hitler and all the Nazis refused to acknowledge the amazing athletic ability and decent character of American runner Jesse Owens. There is nothing whatsoever in this book that would leave one with that impression. Quite the contrary, Riefenstahl went out of her way to acknowledge Owens and photograph him, even with his new German friend and competitor Luz Long (right). There is not a hint on the photos, text and captions that this was any sort of “Nazi Olympics” and no attempt at Nazi propaganda of any kind.
The condition of this book is generally very, very good. It is complete with only light wear and the photographic content is in excellent condition. Its single defect is an irregular stain at the top and bottom of the spine. A rare book that can be found at prices as high as $2500.00 per copy without the Goebbels dedication.
| - Bakelite model of the Berlin Olympic Stadium |
| - Leni Riefenstahl's OLYMPIA movie brochures |
| - Limited edition book on the Reichssportfeld published by the Interior Ministry |
| - Berlin Olympic Art Exhibition guidebook |
| - Berlin Olympics photo book by Dr. Wolff |
We have a second example of the Leni Riefenstahl book SCHÖNHEIT IM OLYMPISCHEN KAMP (The Beauty of Olympic Competition) but without the page containing the Christmas Christmas Greetings by Joseph Goebbels, and in poorer condition than the book shown above. The binding at the spine is not broken loose, but is not tight as it ws when manufactured.
OF THE LENI RIEFENSTAHL BOOK
SCHÖNHEIT IM OLYMPISCHEN KAMP
IN POORER CONDITION
delivered in the continental USA. We will be happy to ship abroad at additional cost. Please inquire. USM book #291b |
This example has light thumb smudges in the bottom right corner of many pages but all the photos and captions are there and in very nice condition.
RARE LENI RIEFENSTAHL BEAUTY OF OLYMPICS BOOK
TWO EXAMPLES OF THE RARE
LENI RIEFENSTAHL BOOK
SCHÖNHEIT IM OLYMPISCHEN KAMP
(THE BEAUTY OF
OLYMPIC COMPETITION)
LENI RIEFENSTAHL BOOK
SCHÖNHEIT IM OLYMPISCHEN KAMP
(THE BEAUTY OF
OLYMPIC COMPETITION)
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