Signed book: Schonheit im Olympischen Kampf [Beauty in the Olympics]. First edition. Berlin: Im Deutschen Verlag, 1937. Hardcover, 9.5 x 12.5, 281 pages. Signed and inscribed on the half-title page in fountain pen to the IOC member who brought the 1932 Games to Los Angeles, "Oberst William May Garland…Leni Riefenstahl, Jan. 1938, Berlin." 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 fine condition.
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.
