GERMANY. Set of 33 black-and-white photographs (format 17.2 - Lot 107

GERMANY. Set of 33 black-and-white photographs (format 17.2 x 23.2 cm), matted (format 29.8 x 36.7 cm), each hand-numbered 1 to 36 on verso (23, 29 and 30 are missing), housed in a box sheathed in red leather embossed with the golden eagle and lined with unbleached white velvet, signed on the edge by Frieda THIERSCH in gold lettering, (format 32 x 39 cm). Wear and tear to the box, freckling to the velvet. ABE The photos feature panoramic views of the mountainous Bavarian Alps at Berchtesgaden, Adolf Hitler's holiday home "The Berghof" at Obersalzberg and the eagle's nest (Kehlsteinhaus) with its terraces and interior rooms, including the famous grand salon with its famous bay window. It is certain that this box, of which several are known, was a personal gift from A.H. to his guests at the Berghof. Like most of those known, it was brought back as a war prize by an officer of the 2nd DB who captured the Berghof on May 4, 1945, Lieutenant-Colonel Pierre RICHET (1904-1983), the unit's chief medical officer. Frieda THIERSCH (1889-1947), German bookbinder, cover designer and graphic artist, who played a key role in the development of the German book arts movement after the First World War. Her books were shown at a number of highly acclaimed exhibitions, including the First Edition Club in London (1929), the Barcelona World Fair (1929) and the Milan Triennale (1930, 1933, gold medal in 1936). In 1937, she was awarded the coveted gold medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition. Building on this reputation, the workshop received an increasing number of government orders during the Nazi period, producing briefcases, guest books, photo albums, boxes and prestigious gift bindings for the leaders of the Nazi regime. Many of his orders were for Hitler's private use. F. Thiersch gained notoriety for the certificates and files for the presentation of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross, produced under the direction of Gerdy Troost.