Miniature "button book" issued for charitable contributions by the Winter-hilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes

Identifier
irn11679
Language of Description
English
Alt. Identifiers
  • 1996.58.2
Level of Description
Item
Languages
  • German
Source
EHRI Partner

Extent and Medium

overall: Height: 1.880 inches (4.775 cm) | Width: 1.380 inches (3.505 cm) | Depth: 0.120 inches (0.305 cm)

Creator(s)

Biographical History

Heinrich Hoffmann (1885-1957) was a German photographer and Nazi propagandist. The son and nephew of photographers, he worked in the Hoppé studio in London before setting up in Munich as a portraitist and photojournalist. His photograph of cheering crowds on 2 August 1914 unwittingly captured the young Adolf Hitler, an event which would later benefit Hoffmann's career. Drifting to the far right after the First World War and revolutionary events in Bavaria, he joined the Nazi Party in 1920 and convinced an initially camera-shy Hitler of photography's political value. Hoffman’s assistant, Eva Braun, became Hitler’s mistress in 1930. After 1933, his virtual monopoly of Hitler photographs, as ‘the man who sees the Führer for us’, made him one of the Third Reich's major profiteers. His scenes of carefully constructed intimacy, presenting his master, especially in the regime's early years, as a clean-living, nature-loving man of the people, were massively disseminated. After 1945, though claiming to have been a mere chronicler of events, he was fined and imprisoned. His extensive photo archive survives, including photographs of German political and religious figures, as well as actors, painters, and musicians.

Archival History

The miniature booklet was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1996 by JoAnn Titak, the daughter of Hubert John Placey.

Acquisition

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of JoAnn Titak, Ron and John Placey in Honor of our Dad, Hubert John Placey, who served in W.W.II.

Scope and Content

Miniature "button book" printed by the Nazi German government and given as a token gift to those who had donated to the Winter-hilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes. The booklet could be worn on coat buttons as a sign that the wearer had donated to the charity. The book was acquired by Hubert John Placey while serving overseas in the U.S. Army during WWII.

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on access

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Minature booklet; ill. black and white images.

Corporate Bodies

Subjects

Genre

This description is derived directly from structured data provided to EHRI by a partner institution. This collection holding institution considers this description as an accurate reflection of the archival holdings to which it refers at the moment of data transfer.