Issue of the french weekly "The Mirror" - First photographs from Warsaw bombed by the Nazis

Issue of the french weekly "The Mirror" - First photographs from Warsaw bombed by the Nazis

Issue of the french weekly LE MIROIR dated October 1, 1939 - First scenes of devastated Warsaw after Nazi bombardment with the outbreak of World War II - Early reports on the French and British organization on the battlefield, Hitler's speech before the outbreak of war, Hitler caught on camera during a midday meal with Nazi senior officials in the field, and more.

"Hypocrisy, deceitfulness, double-dealing have become law. No nation can guarantee its future. Human rights no longer exist. The spirit of freedom is threatened everywhere...". A photographic issue of the first scenes from the outbreak of World War II. Photographs appear on every page of the issue, and the title page even features an ad stating the editorial staff pays professional or amateur photographers a worthwhile price for documents or photographs related to the "current situation" that are of special interest.

On the first pages are early photographs of sights from bombarded Warsaw with the German invasion of Poland - Polish peasant farmers who lost their home fleeing on horses, houses on fire, Polish artillery attempting to respond with anti-tank missiles. The newspaper reports 1000 deaths in a single day in Poland. It later mockingly reports on Hitler's speech before the outbreak of war - "thin, his face wrinkled, Hitler announced to the Reichstag that Germany had attacked Poland. Behind him Göring." Also appearing are a few photos from a midday meal Hitler held with Nazi senior officials including Keitel and Himmler visible, and photos of Hitler receiving reports from commanders on the invasion of Poland. Subsequent pages feature rare photographs of the preparations for battle in France against Nazi Germany - French tanks start action (before the Vichy government took control), and more. In the last two pages under the title: "Allied Forces Have Morale" appear various photographs showing British motivation with the outbreak of war - British Empire heavyweight boxing champion Len Harvey in the British Army, English women in London at physical training for war, a rushed wedding of English pilot Charles Bennethal, British soldiers on their way to the front, and more. On one of the pages is a daily report of war events as occurred in the week preceding the issue's publication.

The photographic weekly LE MIROIR which began in 1912 underwent some changes over the years. From the outbreak of World War II until June 7 a total of 40 issues were published focusing entirely on war scenes, and all carried the sentence appearing on the cover of the issue before us - offering photographers a worthwhile price for interesting photographic materials to the magazine.

Complete issue. [15] p. Very good condition.