DESCRIPTION: Not every German patriot who had a Messianic view of the Führer in the early days before the Machtergreifung, 30 January 1933, had the money to purchase a fine bust of him in bronze, so they would visit the many shops in Berlin and Munich, and would often purchase a bust made in his image molded in plaster of Paris. Another reason for this selection was that the bronze busts besides being costly did not for some of the Volk seem personal and lifelike and the plaster ones were somewhat more a natural-looking piece of artistic endeavor. These little busts cost only a few marks at the time and filled the needs of the loyal admirers in their patriotic zeal. The bust stands about 7 inches high and the base is 3x2½ inches and for being 87-plus years old, it is in great shape. There are a few pinhole-sized spots here and there (very few). The tip of his nose has a slight blemish, and a couple areas have been touched up; but all in all, the condition is superb! The coloration is perfection personified! He wears the brown shirt of the Kampzeit (Struggle for Power); even his famous eye perception is amazingly brought forth. The back of the bust has the artist’s logo signature. Schmidt-Hoffer produced many personality figures in his Berlin studio. He died in 1925, but the company that he founded continued to use his facsimile signature on its products, which included bronze, zinc, and evidently plaster, as well, or so it seems. In any case, this is a handsome little bust.
