Very Rare Olympic Photobooks of Dr. Paul Wolf

Updated August 7, 2026

For the collector who is interested in the history of photography, with a specific emphasis on early Leica's, this is a remarkable lot. These two books are photo-essays of the work of Dr. Paul Wolff, and his time spent shooting the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Dr. Wollf, was one of the earliest adopters of Leica's new 35mm format, and his work was used by Leica, to promote their new cameras, in Germany and around the world. Both of these volumes are the same book, but in different languages. The first book was printed in Germany, in 1936, by Karl Specht, of Berlin. The second book, the one without writing on the cover, is an English language version of the German book, published in 1937, by William Morrow & Company, New York. The title of both books is, "What I saw At The Olympics". Each book contains the same content, both written and pictorial. There are 111 pictures in the book. Three pictures in the book are from Peter Cornelius, and the only picture of Adolf Hitler, was provided by Heinrich Hoffman; the rest are from Dr. Wolff. Dr. Wolff, was one of the most prolific shooters in Germany, before the war. Using his Leica, he shot multiple advertising campaigns and published several of the first phonebooks about the 35mm process. He also developed his own prints for publication by magazines, periodicals and other publications. In 1944, Dr. Wolff, was living in Frankfurt, Germany. An allied bombing raid destroyed his house and all of his collected works. The destruction of his house took all of his negatives, as well as all of his printed work. Very few original prints from Dr. Wolff are available today. Most of what we can see of his work can only be found in books and magazines that feature his photography. Both books are 9 X 11 inches. The condition of both books is remarkably good, with only a few external marks seen on either book. The interior of the books are clean and tight, with no staining or foxing. The photographs are in excellent condition. DPG

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• 1936 Berlin Olympic Sonderheft Magazine Pair
• Olympia1936 Die Olympischen Spiele Band I & II
• German Pre-WWII Leather Field Equipment Case, 1935
• Vintage Leather Military Field Pack
• Early 20th Century Leather Field Pouch
• Antique German-Style Leather Field Pack
• WWII German Black Leather Map Case with Maps, 1940
• Leather Military Cartridge Box Circa 19th Century

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