Various (Luce, Henry (Editor); Alsop, Joseph; Capra, Frank; Farley, James; Chamberlain, Neville; Henie, Sonja; Hitler, Adolf et al.)

LIFE Vol. 5 No. 12 (September 19, 1938)

New York, NY, USA: LIFE Inc., 1938. First Edition. Stapled Wrappers. “Just in case Europe should talk itself into war, prophetic pictures of army maneuvers poured last week into the U. S. Old pictures of France’s Maginot Line (LIFE, Jan 3) were dug up to report the fact that jittery France had rushed 350,000 men and its big guns into these border fortifications. German papers expressed “surprise” and German soldiers were rushed into the Siegfried and Hindenburg Lines along the Rhine. More than 40 warships of Britain’s expensive Home Fleet set about “routine maneuvers” in the western half of the North Sea while the new German fleet did the same in the eastern half…All this ominous shadowboxing was over whether Adolf Hitler could rush Czechoslovakia into giving him a diplomatic victory in time for the smash finale this week of the annual Nurnberg Congress of the Nazis. This great theatrical party began this year with jubilation over the acquisition of Austria (“the returned Ostmark”). Between pageants Hitler slipped the word to the Sudetens to negotiate with Czechoslovakia, to stop negotiating, to start again. To the French Ambassador he said, “I trust no mother will ever have cause to weep because of any action of mine.” But even after other diplomats had left Nurnberg, there remained like a ghost at a feast the tall, polite British Ambassador, Sir Nevile Henderson, laden with instructions from the British Cabinet (see pp. 11 to 13). In case Germany had not heard him the first time, Sir Nevile continued to warn Hitler and his German advisors that Britain might well fight for Czechoslovakia.”-- “LIFE on the Newsfronts of the World,” pg. 14. This vintage number of the legendary American magazine edited by Time Magazine founder Henry R. Luce (1898-1967), John Shaw Billings (1898–1975), Daniel Longwell (1899-1968), & John S. Martin is a time-capsule exploding with world history. The vintage LIFE Magazine: September 19, 1938 features a cover story on James Farley (1888-1976), former Postmaster General & chairman of the Democratic National Committee, who at the time was torn between his loyalties to the Democratic Party and then President Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882-1945) who wanted to purge it. Featuring world news developments such as: the Third Reich mobilizing troops at its borders and pressuring Czechoslovakia into capitulation; the unveiling of the, at the time, world's biggest mobile field gun by the Wehrmacht; The reaction in Britain to Nazi Germany’s posturing around Czechoslovakia; the state of American politics through the implementation of the New Deal; and a massive gold boom in Canada’s northwest, among many other developments both benign and ominous. This issue also features adverts for Seagram’s, the new Colgate Dental Cream, Serta-Sleeper mattress’, CHAMPION Sparkplugs, Royal Crown Cola, Webster Cigars, and Fleischmann’s Gin. This issue, with its charming design and rich content, will transport you to a different time, making it a conversation starter for any vintage collection. From the collection of Laurence Goldstein (1943-2023), a renowned American poet, film critic, editor & academician here at the University of Michigan. Large format magazine. First & presumably only printing. In relatively fine condition with moderate wear to fine edges, minor smudging/scratching to front and back covers, slight discoloration to exterior and interior due to age-toning, and heavy rusting at staples. Fine. [Item #8996]

Price: $35.00