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Unsigned German-language book: Schönheit im Olympischen Kampf [Beauty in the Olympic Games] by Leni Riefenstahl. First edition. Berlin, Germany: Deutschen Verlag, 1937. Cloth-bound hardcover, 9.5 x 12.5, 281 pages with 273 black-and-white photographs. The art book is heavily illustrated with full-page gravures of Riefenstahl's photographs of the Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics, beautifully portraying the athletes, ceremonies, and venues. In very good condition, with a cracked front hinge, light foxing to the half-title page, and a presentation inscription to the first free end page in an unknown hand.
Filmmaking and photography took a prominent role in the celebration of the 1936 Games, with Leni Riefenstahl producing a pioneering documentary, Olympia. Using advanced technical effects—including slow motion, extreme angles, underwater shots, panoramic aerial shots, and fast-tracking systems—her work set the standard for sports photography in the 20th century, and has continued to be a major influence in documentary filmmaking.
