Bidspirit auction | Collection of Photographs - Behind

Collection of Photographs - Behind the Scenes of the Nuremberg Trials - United States Army Signal Corps Photographers. Nuremberg, 1946-1947 - A collection of 12 large photographs from the Nuremberg Trials, taken by photographers of the United States Army Signal Corps for internal use. Nuremberg, 1946-1947. Some of the photographs bear the stamp on the reverse: ”For official use only not for publication.” Others are captioned on the reverse with typewritten descriptions. The photographs primarily document the human interactions that took place behind the scenes and outside the main courtroom during the Nuremberg Trials. Photographs: The elderly German statesman and diplomat Franz von Papen, one of the principal defendants at the trial (who served as Hitler's Vice Chancellor). Wearing a heavy winter coat with a broad fur collar, von Papen is seen smiling and warmly conversing with three women—apparently members of his family, including his wife and either his daughter-in-law or daughters—who had come to visit and support him during the tense days of the trial. Hilde Schmidt, who served as the secretary to Nazi Germany's Foreign Minister, Joachim von Ribbentrop. She is photographed against a light-colored wall with her arms folded. Lieutenant General John K. Cannon (Lt. Gen. John K. Cannon), Commander of the U.S. Air Forces in Europe, wearing a light-colored uniform with the AAF shoulder insignia and a service visor cap, engaged in a professional conversation with a younger Air Force officer wearing a service uniform and garrison cap. In the background are the boarding stairs of a transport aircraft bearing the inscription ”EATS, ” together with additional figures on the airfield. An official press briefing held indoors. At the center of the room stands four-star General Joseph T. McNarney, who succeeded Eisenhower as Commander of the U.S. Forces in Europe and Military Governor of the American Occupation Zone in Germany. McNarney is seen leaning against a large wooden table with his hands clasped, beside an official nameplate reading ”General Joseph T. McNarney, ” while two stenographers seated in the background record his remarks. An official military decorations ceremony held outdoors before a large gathering of soldiers, officers, and journalists. The photograph depicts a senior American general, wearing the SHAEF headquarters shoulder insignia, as he pins a decoration or medal onto the lapel of another senior officer standing at attention before him, in recognition of distinguished command service during the war. The renowned American General George S. Patton Jr., commander of the Third Army, who was killed in a motor vehicle accident in Germany in December 1945. Upon his white grave, marked by a simple wooden cross bearing his name, rank, and service number, rests a large floral wreath. Behind it stand two American Military Policemen (MP), wearing white web belts, white gloves, and polished helmets, guarding the extensive military cemetery with its long rows of white crosses. The Casino Cafeteria, operated under Headquarters Command for the trial personnel, journalists, and administrative staff. The spacious, high-ceilinged dining hall is filled with American soldiers and officers in uniform, female staff members, and stenographers during a meal break, with the long, busy serving counter visible in the background. A dining room established specifically for women and children—family members of employees, displaced persons, and others connected with the trials. It shows rows of young mothers seated at a long dining table feeding their infants and young children, while an American soldier assists with serving food and maintaining order. On the wall behind them hangs an official English-language notice concerning infant nutrition and health: ”Your baby is your responsibility.” A bride in an elegant white satin wedding gown, carrying elaborate floral bouquets and wearing a veil, descends the building's staircase arm in arm with a senior American officer (of the rank of colonel or general) dressed in full dress uniform adorned with campaign ribbons, with framed pictures hanging on the wall in the background. A woman in service uniform (apparently an American nurse or administrative worker) sits in a courtyard feeding a small baby with a spoon as the child sits on a wooden bench wearing a dark sweater. Beside the baby sits another toddler dressed in light-colored clothing, crying, while dishes and cups are arranged on a table in the foreground. An official address delivered from a ceremonial platform decorated with flags. At its center stands a senior officer speaking before a large cluster of microphones, while additional officers stand at attention beside him, including a general with sleeve rank insignia standing to the right near a folding wooden chair, as part of an official military or political ceremony held in the city. The fairgrounds in Nuremberg during the trials.