Photos, period originals, fakes, repros or what ?

[H.W Plainview]

Hi guys

What do you think of this agfa postcard photo please. Has been cut obviously. I really like it i hope it s all good.

[H.W Plainview]

guys ?

[Robert Noss]

As you can see - this one is not a unique photo.

That is mine:





Although a bit different - yours had the edges cut off - the writing on the back of mine seems to be period and more exact - these are the same prints from the same negative.

This is nothing to worry, cause photos like this one were often made by professional propaganda photographers and later offered to soldiers for purchase or even as gifts to soldiers who were amongst the people at this event.

Thus said, I have to admit that I do not think that my example of this photo is a 100 % for sure period original. Something between 70 - 80 %

Mine was sticked into an album and that album was put together after the war.

Not the best news, I know. hope I could help anyway.

[H.W Plainview]

Not good yes...thank you Robert

[paintbrush]

Hello & Thank you for the wonderuf link at the beginning. I have several hundred photos from my grandfather (USAF), including about 40 of SA Hessen, and uknown RAD unit, and unknown NSKK.

They are definitely real, and have the AGFA mark, and from the content (including a news-type-window in a couple of the pics) I can say they are post May 1943.

But they are also all divided by two stamps on the back of every photo, in red. They either say "Schmelzer A255 Schweinfurt" or "Schmelzer A278 Schweinfurt" and I can't figure out what they mean (outside of Schweinfurt being a location). I don't have a clue what the Schmelzer (smelter?) and number refer to.

Any ideas or suggestions where to look?

[paintbrush]

No one?...I've tried to look up smelter as slang for something related to photographs in German as well, but can't figure out a connection.

If anyone has any help, it is appreciated. I'm digitizing the entire collection for my family members and preserving the 1:1 photos.

[Robert Noss]

I am quite sure that it is the name of a photograph shop somewhere in or near Schweinfurt. Hard to research today.
Some older photographers still exist, some not. An old telephone- or addressbook from Schweinfurt could probably help.

[paintbrush]

Robert - Thank You - You've got me pointed in another direction. I appreciate the response & suggestion.

Certainly not uncommon to have a familial occupation become a family name, esp. in German. I should have thought of this!

[Robert Noss]

New link to the pages:

Photo Fake or Not ?

Please note that the domain kriegsberichter.de is no longer valid.

Kind regards
Robert

[H.W Plainview]

hi guys

please can you give your opinions here ?

thank you very much.

the size is 11.5 x 8,7 cm

[Robert Noss]

Everything okay with this photo. Nice wartime original.

[H.W Plainview]

Great thank you, i just found out it s a published one

[leigh kitchen]

Any views on this character please?
I bought it thinking that he may be a member of an allied recognition training team rather than a genuine WSS man.
The photo has this "Nationalsozialistische deutsche arbeiterpartei gauleitg Schleswig-Holstein" marking which I take to be a spurious addition.
A genuine WWII image or one of a re-enactor?

[Robert Noss]

This is not a genuine german photograph from a regular member of the Waffen-SS. No way. I can not even recognize what camo pattern is on that strange jacket with a hood. The arm eagle seems to be an army eagle, not Waffen-SS and most Waffen-SS camo suits were worn without insignia (there are exceptions however).

This photo reminds me very much of photographs of the so-called Wehrsportgruppe Hoffmann, a paramilitary Neo-Nazi organisation in germany in the late 60ties, early 70ties.
I know that the members did stamp everything with fake Nazi markers not only photographs but also clothes, gear and probably their ass too.

[leigh kitchen]

This is not a genuine german photograph from a regular member of the Waffen-SS. No way. I can not even recognize what camo pattern is on that strange jacket with a hood. The arm eagle seems to be an army eagle, not Waffen-SS and most Waffen-SS camo suits were worn without insignia (there are exceptions however).

This photo reminds me very much of photographs of the so-called Wehrsportgruppe Hoffmann, a paramilitary Neo-Nazi organisation in germany in the late 60ties, early 70ties.
I know that the members did stamp everything with fake Nazi markers not only photographs but also clothes, gear and probably their ass too.

Thanks, it didn't look right, somehow even the guy's face doesn't look "right", I'd wondered if the eagle might be army rather than WSS but wasn't sure.
The outcome looked bleak, but for the sake of £1.29 with other unrelated British military photosI thought I'd give it a punt in the hope it was a "training" version of s WSS rather than a Von Mitty at play.