Edelgard Reboldt, Eugen Prehm - Wir in Berlin - 1965

EXCELLENT, HIGHLY UNDERRATED GDR/DDR PROPAGANDA PHOTOBOOK ABOUT EAST-BERLIN -
with the VERY RARE ORIGINAL DUSTJACKET.

GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY by Edelgard Rehboldt (i am offering another book by her in this auction, "Mosaik aus drei Buchstaben").

Very little is known about the photographer Edelgard Rehboldt (1928 - 1983).
Photography apprenticeship in Halle. Freelance photographer since 1951 for "Freiheit", "Tribüne", "Mitteldeutsche Neueste Nachrichten", "Nationalzeitung", "Das neue Handwerk".

MY HIGHEST RECOMMENDATION.

THIS IS THE VERY FIRST PHOTOBOOK AUCTION ON CATAWIKI - dedicated entirely to the world of the former "DDR"/"GDR" ("GERMAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC" or "EAST GERMANY") which existed from 1949 to 1990.

Still largely undiscovered and unexplored, this field offers a wealth of fascinating discoveries for collectors.
5Uhr30.com presents exceptional works by renowned and emerging artists, survey works, compelling monographs, as well as extraordinarily rare small vintage catalogues, vintage children’s books and vintage factory photobooks; signed publications, posters, and much more.

This type of publication was considered by the Magistrat von Gross Berlin as urgent, for reasons I'm sure are obvious. After a brief preface by the Lord Mayor, the image sequence begins. The photos were taken by a unknown photographer Edelgard Rehboldt (1928-1983). The sometimes ironic, short captions were written by journalist Eugen Prehm. Whoever designed the book, does not get a mention in the credits. Towards the end of the book, more detail is revealed about the pictures. You could read translations in Russian, English, French and Spanish, but only if you purchased the thick, separately priced translation brochure. This (very rare) supplement also contains an additional text about the self consciousness of the city. The book was so successful, that a second modified edition appeared one year later. Two luxuriously in red leather or white parchment bound versions were given to deserving comrades and activists or to official guests typical for the GDR. On all covers the Berlin bear was embossed. The imagery is modern and dynamic. But this is not the norm, many books about West German cities are not so 'spirited'. There's no narrative as in the Rimkus and Beselers book, but we do get decisive moments and anecdotal images. In the first picture Walter Ulbricht demonstrates a model of the newly designed Alexanderplatz. This was the obligatory propaganda, then follows the freestyle. The layout combines contrasting images designed to encourage you to take a walk through the city. It starts at the Brandenburger Tor including border posts, then continues in the classical context to the Ehrenwache Unter der Linden and other historic sights. The photos deal with trade, commerce, industry, culture, transport, recreation, sports, new buildings, to be broken up again and again by scenes with a lot of 'Milljoh'. The loose mixture avoids the standard type of city books, that might contain tight thematic blocks. And at the end as in the beginning a model shows the nascent radio tower: forwards! The translation supplement explains again how the book was meant, 'We in Berlin are proud of what we have achieved, and are sure that our achievements will continue tomorrow as we continue greater along our way' (p.19) Of course this is all pure propaganda, but the east German capital was never again represented in such a vivid way.

Verlag der Nation, Berlin. 1965. First edition, first printing.

Hardcover in blue linen with dustjacket. 235 x 285 mm. 228 pages. 234 photos. Photos: Edelgard Reboldt. Edited by Eugen Prehm and Edelgard Reboldt. Printing: Nationales Druckhaus, VOB National, Berlin. Binding: VEB Leipziger Grossbuchbinderei. Text in German.

Great, widely unknown and highly underrated East-German propaganda photobook (extremely hard to find with the original dustjacket).

Like always we guarantee detailed and accurate descriptions, 100% transport protection, 100% transport insurance, and of course, combined shipping - worldwide.

MAKE SURE YOU DON'T MISS THIS UNIQUE CHANCE!
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The photographer Edelgard Rehboldt was also involved in other important photography books:
- "die vom Ballett...(und wir)", Kongress Verlag, 1962
- "Wir in Berlin" ("We are in Berlin"), Verlag der Nation, 1965
- "Foto-Anschlag - Vier Generationen ostdeutscher Fotografen", Verlag E. A. Seemann, 2001, together with
Evelyn Richter, Arno Fischer, Helga Paris, Christian Borchert, Gerhard Gäbler, Tina Bara, Harald Hauswald,
Matthias Hoch, Thomas Kläber, Sven Marquardt, Maria Sewcz, Uwe Steinberg, Karin Wieckhorst and many
others