Germany, Wehrmacht. A Private Pre-War Photo Album from a Member of Infanterie-Regiment 135

(Wehrmacht Fotoalbum). An interesting, private photo album documenting the military career of a member of Infanterie-Regiment 135 in the immediate pre-war period (1939). It is constructed of a card stock binding with a faux dark leather exterior liner. The cover bears a raised and silvered Stahlhelm at the upper left corner, while the lower right corner bears an inscription of “MEINE DIENSTZEIT” (“MY SERVICE TIME”). Four eyelets are set into the spine, all reinforced with magnetic metal eyelets, with a period original drawstring looped through to maintain the album’s structural integrity. The interior content consists of 23 black card stock pages pasted with 92 black-and-white photos, supplemented by postcards and coloured lithographs. The images are approximately equally divided between military scenes, family photos, and scenes of landscapes and landmarks in southern Germany. The former depict the owner and other Heer personnel in uniform on duty, and include several studio photos of the owner, with embroidered Infanterie-Regiment 135 cyphers clearly visible on his shoulder straps. Most images feature handwritten dates, encompassing the period from spring through summer of 1939, notably terminating in August, shortly before the start of the Second World War. The final page retains a vendor’s label reading “WEISS KREUZ-DROGERIE, GMUNDEN A/ TRAUNSEE”, with a handwritten price of 8.70 Reichsmarks. The album measures 25 cm (w) x 19 cm (h). Demonstrating only minor material fatigue, this private compilation depicting Heer service on the eve of the Second World War is in an extremely fine condition.