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Lot 753: ADOLF HITLER WATERCOLOR PAINTING - Current Bid: $8,000.00

Est: $15,000 USD - $20,000 USDSold:
Alexander Historical Auctions LLCChesapeake City, MD, USAugust 24, 2016

Item Overview

Description

ADOLF HITLER WATERCOLOR PAINTING
GIVEN TO THE CARETAKER OF THE BERGHOF AS A WEDDING PRESENT An extraordinary original Adolf Hitler watercolor painting with unique provenance, obtained from Herbert Dohring who was a member of Hitler's personal bodyguard and later served as a supervisor of the construction of the Berghof and as caretaker of the complex. The painting, 6" x 10 1/2" on paper, is titled and signed in pencil at lower left: "A. Hitler '09 Wien I Stallburggasse". St. Michael's Church is visible in the background, in this Vienna neighborhood between the Stallburg and the Koniginkloster. Hitler drew some of the elements, mainly architectural lines, in pencil, and used earth tone washes for coloration with black lines to accentuate details. As is almost always the case with Hitler's works, his perspective is not accurate with buildings not bearing the correct scale and angles for their location. Particularly telling are his renditions of the human form -- faces are never shown, torso and limb lengths are incorrect, and the perspective employed in the placement of the figures is incorrect. It was these deficiences which caused Hitler to be rejected from the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts. The painting is double-matted in gray and white, all set into a ca. 1945 mat. The back of the frame has never been opened. Very fine. HERBERT DOHRING (1913-2001) served with the Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler as part of its 30-man personal protection command tasked with up-close protection of Hitler. Döhring then took over supervision of the Berghof, working first in the original Wachenfeld structure before assuming full caretaking responsibility. While there, Dohring met his future wife Anna Krautenbacher, a staff member, and he married her with a reception at the Berghof with Hitler in attendance. Provenance present with the painting includes: a signed typed statement by Dohring, Hersbruck, Aug. 12, 1999 in which he states (in German): "...I attest to the authenticity of the watercolor 'Stallburggasse' by Adolf Hitler, signed and dated '09'. The painting was a present from chambermaid Lina Dannat to my wife...She presented this picture to my wife in 1942 at the time of our departure from the Berghof. I don't know under which circumstances Ms. Dannat received possession. It is well known that many of these watercolors were stored in the gifts room on the second floor as well as in the large closet in the 'Great Hall'...We hid the picture during the war years and had it framed in the years after the war. It was until today in my personal possession. " Also included is an A.N.S. by Dohring, Hersbruck, Aug. 14, 1999 sending two photos of the painting which he has signed (photos also present) and mentioning that the aforementioned Ms. Dannat has died the previous January. There are also copies of original photos of Dohring, his wife and Hitler at their wedding, Dohring at the Berghof in 1941, and the man in 1999. Finally, there is a copy of Dohring's modern signed identity card and a notary's attestation of his signature. Our consignor has added a copy of Dohring's memoirs (in German): "Hitler's Hausverwalter" (Bochum: Zeit Reisen Verlag), 2013. 94pp. 8vo., Dohring's account of his service as caretaker of the Berghof, with photographs of the author, Hitler, guests, etc. Dohring's friend Ms. Dannat may have been gifted the painting by Hitler, or she may have pilfered it. This may explain why Dohring chose to hide the painting until after the war ended! In any event, this painting is, in our experience, nearly identical in regards to subject, size, composition, technique, and perspective as almost every other authentic Hitler painting offered by us and other experienced auctioneers of Hitler's works. Its provenance is excellent, and having sold many Hitler watercolors over the past thirty years, we are completely confident in the authenticity of this example.

Artist or Maker

Payment & Shipping

Payment

Accepted forms of payment: Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 14 - 21 days for shipments to arrive after receipt of payment due to the high volume of package being shipped.

Auction Details

Summer 2016 Militaria Auction - Day 2

by
Alexander Historical Auctions LLC
August 24, 2016, 10:30 AM EST

98 Bohemia Avenue, Chesapeake City, MD, 21915, US

Terms

Buyer's Premium

26.5%

Bidding Increments

From:To:Increment:
$0$99$10
$100$499$20
$500$999$50
$1,000$1,999$100
$2,000$4,999$250
$5,000$9,999$500
$10,000$19,999$1,000
$20,000$49,999$2,500
$50,000$99,999$5,000
$100,000+$10,000

Terms and Conditions

Day 1 of this auction will begin at 10:30 A.M. EST on Tuesday, August 23, 2016 and continue with day 2 of this auction at 10:30 A.M. EST. on Wednesday, August 24, 2016. This auction is conducted under the laws of the State of Maryland.

Please contact Invaluable at 617-746-9800 if you have difficulties using the Invaluable.com website or logging in.

The Auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid for any reason at any time. In exceptional cases of clerking errors, third-party bidding platform errors, miscommunication, or other errors beyond the direct control of the auctioneer (such as internet or computer related problems), the auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw the lot after the hammer has fallen but only before any payment has been accepted.

The Auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any lot for any reason at any time.

In the event of duplicate high bids, the earliest bid received will be the winner. Note: Absentee bids left with Invaluable.com do not reach the auctioneer until the lot opens during the live sale, thus are not considered early bids! The third-party bidding platform you are using may have received an earlier bid of equal amount and will consider this an earlier left bid for their purposes only!

Some lots may carry a reserve beneath which the item will not be sold.

Detailed descriptions of lots and images are available upon request. Bidders are advised that we warrant ONLY printed descriptions and additional information set forth in the addenda and from the auction block. Illustrations of lots in this catalog and our website may have size, brightness or contrast modifications for display purposes. Accurate color representation is not guaranteed.

Estimated selling prices are for your guidance only. Actual selling prices may be higher or lower than the estimate indicated.

The placing of a bid legally binds the bidder to purchase the lot at or below the bid placed, plus buyer's premium (see item 3). Bids may not be retracted without our approval. Please think before you bid! You are legally bound once you do so. Non-paying bidders will be reported to Invaluable and blocked from future bidding.

Absentee Bidding: All bidding is undertaken in a competitive manner. The winning bid will always be one bidding increment over the second highest bid. The minimum acceptable bid for any lot is one-half of the low estimates given in the item description. Absentee bids left with the auctioneer are accepted up to one hour before the start of the auction. Live bidding: Bids entered during the course of the sale by bidders on the floor, on the phone, or live on the internet will be taken at the amount bid.

We will invoice you within 5 days of the conclusion of the auction. Payment is expected immediately upon, but not before, receipt of invoice. Payments may be made via phone, email, mail, fax, in person. All accounts are payable to Alexander Historical Auctions. Payment must be made in U.S. funds. Wire transfer details are available upon request. Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is filled with us prior to the auction.
Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, money orders, domestic personal checks, please allow up to 10 days for clearance, bank wires and Paypal payments to sales@alexautographs.com. Property purchased and paid for by successful bidders but remaining unclaimed after 120 days will be deemed abandoned and title will be ceded to Alexander Historical Auctions LLC.

Shipment will be via USPS Priority Mail, FedEx Ground or DHL. All packages require a signature upon receipt. We are happy to assist you to make arrangements for extra-large or heavy items which we cannot ship directly. Please notify us immediately after the auction if you would like to ship via FedEx on your own account, we will add an appropriate handling charge to the invoice. Multiple lots may be combined into one package at our discretion. Please allow 14 - 21 days for shipments to arrive after receipt of payment due to the high volume of package being shipped.

All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer at any time for an immediate refund of the purchase price (only). Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt if determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale.

Items may also be returned if the catalog description differs significantly from the item's actual state; such returns must be made within three (3) days of purchaser's receipt of the lot(s) with prior approval. All returned lots must be in the same condition as shipped. All items are in very good condition unless stated otherwise. Lots which bear defects or damage not visible because of framing will not be subject to return.

Any lot containing five or more items is not subject to return for any reason.

We do not examine the condition of items contained within frames beyond what is readily visible. Such defects may include, but may not be limited to: mounting, silking, marginal damage, closed tears, "mat burn", etc. That being the case, we are not responsible for such hidden damage. Bidders are further advised that we are selling the autograph, not the frame, and therefore the condition of the frame shall not be considered reason for return. Shipping costs for framed items may vary greatly depending on the size and/or weight of the frame, and at times these charges may be quite substantial. Customers may request us to remove an autograph from its frame to reduce shipping charges. We will accommodate customers in that respect for an additional charge of $10.00 per framed item, but such service will be undertaken at our sole discretion. Alexander Historical Auctions will be responsible for any damage caused to the VISIBLE area of the item as it appears in the frame. We will in no way be responsible for any pre-existing hidden damage or defect, nor will we be responsible for any damage caused by us to any previously hidden portion of the autograph, its mount, or any material matted with the autograph during removal from the frame.

The placing of a bid shall constitute acceptance of the preceding terms and conditions of sale as well as the Bidding Procedure guidelines and Terms posted on our website.

Taxes

Sales tax will be charged for Maryland residents.

Contract Information


1. Default
For all purposes of a sale the Auctioneers (Chaucer Covers) shall be deemed to be the agent of both the Seller and the Purchaser and they shall not be considered responsible for any default on the part of either the Seller or Purchaser.

2. Warranty of Title
The vendor warrants to Chaucer Covers and the buyer that he is the true owner of the property or is properly authorised to sell the property by the true owner and is able to transfer good and marketable title to the goods free from any third party claims.
The vendor warrants to Chaucer Covers and it's servants and agents and the buyer against any loss or damage suffered by either in consequence of any breach of the above on the part of the vendor

3. Bidding
The highest bidder for each lot shall be the Purchaser of it. No one is entitled to retract a bid. The Auctioneers reserve the right of refusing any bid without giving any reason and of altering, adding to, dividing, consolidating or withdrawing any lot or lots for sale.
The Auctioneers reserve the right to fix a reserve price for any lot at a figure no higher than the lower estimate.
The Auctioneers reserve the right to bid on behalf of the Seller on lots which are subject to a reserve price. The Seller shall not be entitled to bid where the Auctioneers have reserved such a right.
The Auctioneers will accept commission bids from any person who is unable to attend the sale. Bids will also be accepted by telephone, email and fax at the sender's risk.
Lots will not normally be sold at less than 80% of the bottom estimate.

5. Online Bidding
Chaucer Covers offer an online bidding service for bidders who cannot attend the sale.
In completing the bidder registration on www.invaluable.com, www.auctionzip.com, or this site and providing your credit card details and unless alternative arrangements are agreed with Chaucer Covers you authorise Chaucer Covers if they so wish, to charge the credit card given in part or full payment, including all fees, for items successfully purchased in the auction via invaluable.com, auctionzip.com, or this site and confirm that you are authorised to provide these credit card details to Chaucer Covers and agree that Chaucer Covers are entitled to ship the goods to the card holder name and card holder address provided in fulfilment of the sale.
Please note that any lots purchased by online bidding will be subject to an additional 3% commission charge + VAT at the rate imposed on the hammer price

6. Risk
All lots shall be the sole risk of the Purchaser from the fall of the hammer. The Purchaser shall take all lots in the condition in which he finds them. It is the responsibility of all intending Purchasers to satisfy themselves by inspection or otherwise as to the authenticity in the authorship, date, age, period, condition or quality of any lot.

7. Liability
Neither the Seller of any lot nor the Auctioneers make or give nor has any person in the employment of the Auctioneers any authority to make or give any representation or warranty in relation to any lot and any implied conditions or warranties are excluded. All statements contained in the Catalogue as to the authenticity, attribution, genuineness, origin, authorship, date, age, period, condition or quality of any lot are statements of opinion only and are not to be taken as or implying statements or representations of fact. Lots are sold subject to all faults and errors in description or otherwise.

8. Indemnity
The vendor shall duly indemnify Chaucer Covers against any claim in connection with any goods sold by Chaucer Covers on the vendors behalf.

9. Payment
The Purchaser shall pay the Hammer Price together with a premium of 18% of this Price. An 18% premium will be payable by Purchasers outside the European Union (EU). Zero-rated goods such as books will be subject to a premium of 15% whether within or outside the EU unless entered by a VAT registered Seller.
Payments for lots must be made in cash, bankers draft or cheque guaranteed by the bank upon which it is drawn. Lots will not be released against cheques from Purchasers unknown to the Auctioneers until cleared by such Purchaser's bank. Payment is accepted by Visa and Mastercard. A surcharge of 2.5% plus VAT will be levied to accounts settled by credit cards. Payment is also accepted by most debit cards with no surcharge.
Overseas clients are requested to settle accounts by Bank Transfer, Visa or Mastercard (a surcharge of 2.5% plus VAT will be levied to accounts settled by this method).

10. Delivery
Lots will only be released once payment in full has been received from the Purchaser. Lots will be dispatched by Special Delivery, insured or air mail post or courier. Shipping costs will be paid by the Purchaser.

11. Jurisdiction
These Conditions shall be governed by English law and the parties submit to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

Payment Information

We will invoice you within 5 days of the conclusion of the auction. Payment is expected immediately upon, (but not before) receipt of invoice. Payments may be made via mail, phone, fax, in person. All accounts are payable to Alexander Historical Auctions. Payment must be made in U.S. funds. Wire transfer details are available upon request. Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is provided prior to the auction. Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee. We accept Visa, Mastercard, Discover, money orders, personal checks, please allow up to 10 days for clearance, bank wires and Paypal to sales@alexautographs.com .

Shipping Information

Shipments are sent via USPS Priority, USPS International Priority, DHL (for most overseas shipments) or FedEx Ground at the auctioneer's option, signature is always required, unless other arrangements are made. Handling and shipping charges will be added to the invoice in one entry. Buyers should be aware that large, framed, fragile or odd shaped items can incur substantial shipping and packing charges. International shipments are invoiced by DIMENSIONAL weight, not the item weight. Please contact us for an estimate before bidding NOTE: Large, heavy or bulky items may not be shipped by the auctioneer - arrangements for shipping of these items via a third-party shipper may be arranged through the auction house. Customers who supply their own courier account number will still be charged a handling fee. Please allow 14 - 21 days for shipments to arrive after receipt of payment due to the high volume of package being shipped.

Buyer's Premium

There is an 26.5% Buyer's Premium charged on the final hammer price of each lot.

Condition Statement

All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer at any time for an immediate refund of the purchase price (only). The condition of autograph material is generally described per standards suggested by the Manuscript Society.

Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt if determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale.

Any declarations of lack of authenticity by any party must be made in writing.

Condition Statement

All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer at any time for an immediate refund of the purchase price (only). The condition of autograph material is generally described per standards suggested by the Manuscript Society.

Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt if determined to be not authentic by two independent authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale.

Any declarations of lack of authenticity by any party must be made in writing.