Hitler on the brink of power: Rare pictures of the Nazi leader as he assembled his maniacal team in the 1920s taken by his personal photographer are uncovered at the National Archives

  • A rare, cracked photograph of a young Adolf Hitler, aged 34, at the dawn of the Nazi Party has emerged 
  • The photo, along with a trove of never-before-seen images, show the German leader in intimate moments 
  • The remarkable frame is one of 1,270 images that Richard Schneider digitized from a trove of 41,000 glass negatives created by Hitler's personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann, a key part of Hitler's PR machine
  • After the war, Hoffmann was arrested and convicted of war profiteering, and he spent five years in prison
  • Plans are already underway to make the photographs available online, after negatives were put back together
A rare, cracked photograph of Adolf Hitler at the dawn of the Nazi Party has emerged, capturing the then 34-year-old flanked by his Alsatian, Prinz.
The photo, along with a trove of never-before-seen images, shows the German leader during intimate moments with admirers at rallies - and with his dog Prinz, given to him in 1921, sparking his affection for the breed.
Sat guarded by Prinz, the photograph was apparently taken in 1923, before his arrest in November that year for his Beer Hall Putsch - a failed power grab in Munich that resulted in the deaths of 16 Nazis and four police officers - and which saw him serve nine months of a five year jail sentence.  
The remarkable frame is one of 1,270 images that archivist Richard Schneider digitized from glass negatives created by Hitler's personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann.
The negatives are part of a trove of 41,000 which are held at the U.S. National Archives.
A rare, cracked photograph of a young Adolf Hitler at the dawn of the Nazi Party has emerged, capturing the then 34-year-old leader flanked by his beloved Alsatian. The photo, along with a trove of never-before-seen images, show the notorious German leader in intimate moments with admirers, at rallies and in private. He was known to have a great affinity for the German Shepherd breed, and the dog he is pictured with in 1923 is likely to have been Prinz, who we acquired two years prior
A rare, cracked photograph of a young Adolf Hitler at the dawn of the Nazi Party has emerged, capturing the then 34-year-old leader flanked by his beloved Alsatian. The photo, along with a trove of never-before-seen images, show the notorious German leader in intimate moments with admirers, at rallies and in private. He was known to have a great affinity for the German Shepherd breed, and the dog he is pictured with in 1923 is likely to have been Prinz, who we acquired two years prior
'The face, and the mustache, and those eyes,' Schneider said. 'It was Adolf Hitler, sitting stiffly in an upholstered arm chair, his German shepherd at his side.' 
In the picture, Hitler wore pinstriped trousers, a dark evening jacket and a small swastika lapel pin. His hair was combed back and he was sat besides a grand piano. 
He was known to have a great affinity for the German Shepherd breed, and the dog he is pictured with is likely to have been Prinz, who he acquired two years prior. He owned several more German Shepherds, notably two named Blonda, and then finally Blondi, the dog he is most known for which he had killed with cyanide before his own death in 1945.
Reports from the bunker where Hitler and Eva Braun committed suicide reveal that after Blondi was killed, Hitler's dog handler took her litter of pups and shot them too, as well as Braun's two dogs, in a bid to prevent any symbols of the Nazi regime falling into enemy hands.  
Another ghostly images sees Hitler surrounded by members of the Third Reich, including his notorious minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, as well as Rudolf Hess. 
Hess was Hitler's Deputy Fuhrer until he flew to Scotland in 1941 in a bid to broker a peace deal with the United Kingdom. He was promptly arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes.
Another ghostly images sees Hitler surrounded by members of the Third Reich, including his notorious minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels (stood to Hitler's right), as well as Rudolf Hess (standing in the top row on the far right), as well as Heinrich Himmler, the chief architect of the Holocaust (right)
Another ghostly images sees Hitler surrounded by members of the Third Reich, including his notorious minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels (stood to Hitler's right), as well as Rudolf Hess (standing in the top row on the far right), as well as Heinrich Himmler, the chief architect of the Holocaust (right)
Hoffmann's work with Hitler played a crucial role in endearing him to the German public. His love of dogs, the way admirers flocked to him, the way his inner circle stood near him, all the gave the image of a man to be admired, experts have said.
'He single-handedly shaped the personal side of Hitler's 'Fuhrer Image,' the German historian Heike B. Gortemaker wrote. 
'What makes this digitization project special is that the ensuing image has been reproduced from the original negative, rather than it being a copy or copy of a copy,' Schneider told SFGate. 'This results in unmatched quality.'
Plans are already underway to make the photographs available online soon, according to Billy Wade, a supervisory archivist.
Many of the fragile glass negatives were broken and had to be reassembled. 
'There were more shattered plates of [Hitler] than perhaps any other subject,' Schneider said. 'I don't know if that was purposeful or coincidental  - anytime I came across a picture of him looking at me, it sent shivers.' 
Hitler is seen giving a speech to followers in a German beer hall. Hoffmann's access made him a wealthy man, with his intimate photographs sold in a collection of popular collections called: 'With Hitler in Poland,' 'With Hitler in Italy,' 'Hitler Off Duty' and 'The Hitler Nobody Knows' (pictured in 1923, fore his arrest for the Beer Hall Putsch)
Hitler is seen giving a speech to followers in a German beer hall. Hoffmann's access made him a wealthy man, with his intimate photographs sold in a collection of popular collections called: 'With Hitler in Poland,' 'With Hitler in Italy,' 'Hitler Off Duty' and 'The Hitler Nobody Knows' (pictured in 1923, fore his arrest for the Beer Hall Putsch)
Although, his access dwindled in 1944 when he ran afoul of Hitler's gatekeeper Martin Bormann, who saw to it that his photography opportunities were reduced. After the war, Hoffmann was arrested and convicted of war profiteering, and he spent five years in several German prisons. Hitler pictured with admirers in a cafe  in 1923
Although, his access dwindled in 1944 when he ran afoul of Hitler's gatekeeper Martin Bormann, who saw to it that his photography opportunities were reduced. After the war, Hoffmann was arrested and convicted of war profiteering, and he spent five years in several German prisons. Hitler pictured with admirers in a cafe  in 1923
Chilling footage shows Adolf Hitler taking power as German Chancellor 80 years on
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After the war, his negatives were confiscated by the Army and went to the National Archives in 1962, according to Wade. 
Hoffmann's access made him a wealthy man, with his intimate photographs sold in a collection of popular collections called: 'With Hitler in Poland,' 'With Hitler in Italy,' 'Hitler Off Duty' and 'The Hitler Nobody Knows.' 
Although, his access dwindled in 1944 when he ran afoul of Hitler's gatekeeper Martin Bormann, who saw to it that his photography opportunities were reduced. 
After the war, Hoffmann was arrested and convicted of war profiteering, and he spent five years in several German prisons.