Eric Chaim Kline, Bookseller

Banater Schwaben in Südfrankreich [ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS]

Geiges, Leif

NP, ca. 1955-1965. Hardcover. 3 volumes. Folio. 97 (of 98) original glossy b/w photographs by Leif Geiges, tipped-in on heavy card stock & bound in bolted green cloth. The photographs document the settlement of the Banat Swabians from the mid 1950's - mid 1960's in the various regions of Southern France, from the Atlantic coast of the Pays Basque to the Pyrenees, and from the Cotes du Rhone to Avignon. The Banat Swabians are an ethnic German population in Southeast Europe (part of the Danube Swabians) who immigrated over 200 years ago to the Banat. This once strong and important German minority has now become quite small. The photographs show the cultivation of the land, landscapes & farms, harvesting of grapes for wine production, feeding of livestock, as well as daily labor & activities of the families Hamann, Eisele, Pintz, Spittel, Hudak, Flagmeier, Grams, Müller, Blech, Daum, Schubert, Günther, Bente, Dr. Thies, Schulz, Senfft v. Pilsach, Genschow, Munch, Werner, & Kein. Includes one plate of a b/w reproduction of an oil painting, captioned "Ferme Bilau vor 100 Jahren" (artist unknown). Photographs in various sizes measuring from 6 1/2 x 9 1/4" to 9 1/4" x 11 1/2". Leif Geiger (1915-1990) was a German photographer and journalist who came from an artistic family in Freiburg. In the 1930's he worked for the famous "Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung." During the war he accompanied the Wehrmacht (Propagandakompanie) to document their experiences on the front. Geiger was not a National Socialist but considered himself a member of the 'political left'. After the war he contributed to over 30 photographic publications, the most well-known being "Geliebte alte Stadt", a work about his hometown Freiburg. Some scuffing and scratches on cloth. Small piece of cloth near head of spine on one volume missing, 1/2" closed tear along joint near head of spine on another volume. Lacking one photo "Büro des Entablissement Rural du Sud-Ouest, Ferme Bilon, Benquet/Landes.' Bindings in good+, photographs in fine condition. Photographs captioned in German. Leif Geiges is mentioned 25 times in Heidtmann. No listings anywhere on this work which most likely served as a book maquette. Verso of each photograph with Geiger's own copyright stamp. Unique. vg. Item #24633

Price: $4,500.00