Lot 8135
Winifred Wagner (1897–1980) – a photograph dedicated by Adolf Hitler (1927) and numerous private photographs from her estate
Orders and Military Collectibles from 1919 onwards | A109r | Live auction | 1186 Lots
Description
An early portrait photograph of Hitler in Lederhosen by Hoffmann (late 1926/early 1927), featuring a handwritten dedication on the back: “To Mrs. Wini Wagner, with deepest gratitude, Adolf Hitler – Munich, 28 Feb. 1927 (tr.),” measuring 14.5 x 9.5 cm. Also included are photographs—some likely taken by Wieland Wagner—depicting Siegfried and Winifred Wagner; Verena Wagner (including a 1925 shot as a child with a bicycle and an official Weirich postcard); Wieland Wagner in RAD uniform in 1936 (signed?); images of the funeral procession for Siegfried Wagner and his grave (1930); and Friedelind Wagner. The lot further comprises an autograph album dating from 1903, a damaged city map of Bayreuth, contact prints, newspaper clippings (e.g., “Hitler–Winifred Wagner Engagement?”), and other items. An extremely rare and early autograph by Hitler addressed to Winifred Wagner. The two had met as early as 1923 at an NSDAP event in Bayreuth; Winifred joined the Party in 1926 and assumed management of the Bayreuth Festival following Siegfried Wagner's death in 1930. Hitler, an admirer of Richard Wagner's music, was a regular attendee at the Wagner Festival from 1933 onwards.Provenance: Charles Lambert, who was stationed at Haus Wahnfried as a GI starting in 1945. Until 1957, it served as the headquarters of the Counter Intelligence Corps and as a US Army officers' club.
Condition: II - Questions about the lot?