Fechner, Herbert. BEREIT ZUR ARBEIT UND ZUR VERTEIDIGUNG DES FRIEDENS. [Ready to Work and Defend the Peace]. East Berlin: 1954. Photo album with 37 silver-gelatin photographs on [35] lvs. 295 by 390mm (11 ½ by 15 ¼ inches). Half-leather with parchment cover, two metal clasps, and gold-stamped cover vignette. The album was presented to Herbert Fechner (1913-1998), the mayor of East-Berlin to commemorate the 1954 construction of the Weißensee Bicycle Racetrack in East-Berlin. Two photos of Fechner (7 by 5 inches), stamped “Sport-Foto-Kollektiv”; the remaining photos (9 ¼ by 7 inches) show athletes from East Germany at various competitions (rowing, diving, sailing, bowling, wrestling, etcetera) stamped on reverse “Pressebild Manfred Malinowski”. Malinowski was a prominent East German sport photographer, his archive is at the Sportmuseum Berlin. Along with, a bronze medal in a cardboard box lined with fabric. Medal with outline of Budapest and street sweeper in the center; diameter (3 1/2 inches). Engraved on back in German: [“In memory of the visit of comrade mayor Herbert Fechner to the Budapest Public Works Office. Budapest August 31, 1973.”] Along with, a collage of newspaper headlines folded as leporello (32 by 5 ¼ inches). Presented to Fechner on the occasion his election to the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party in 1967. Collage includes numerous cut-outs from those in the west (allegedly) irked by Fechner’s success. Album somewhat stained, edges rubbed, leather strap rubbed; several photos loose, none missing. Collage slightly browning.
$1,250
