Wichtiges Fotoalbum und Tagebuch aus dem 1. WK... Lot n° 856

World War 1 - Isonzo Front Important photo album and diary from WW1 from the estate of Austrian officer Otto Matzenauer. With over 600 original photographs. Circa 1914-1918. silver gelatin and albumen prints. From approximately 4 x 2.6 cm to 23.5 x 17.7 cm. Printed textile cover with illustration of a 30.5 cm mortar. Velour and cloth. (HLwd. reinforced, joint cracked, but binding tight). World War I. - Italy. - Important photo album and diary of the Austrian officer Otto Matzenauer. With over 600 original photographs. Printed textile cover with illustration of a 30.5 cm mortar. - The Austrian WWI officer Otto Matzenauer was in the "30.5 cm Mortar Battery No. 19" and received numerous awards and honors, including the Austrian Iron Cross. This important album contains over 600 mostly titled photos taken between 1914-1918 of the Alpine War in Italy. It shows original photographs of the Austrian artillery on the mountain front, participation in the Isonzo battles, mountain and winter combat, artillery positions, destruction of military equipment and villages, a shot down Italian artillery battery, and a photograph of the Austrian artillery on the mountain front. Aviator in the high mountains, awards, soldiers with captured Italian. Trench tanks, observation balloons, breakthrough battle near Tolmein, railroad tank train, many photos of vehicles and equipment, as well as portrait photos of Matzenauer and his family. Furthermore a watercolor, a pencil drawing, an etching, maps, stamps, newspaper cuttings, letters. The enclosed over 400-page handwritten war diary also served Matzenauer as a manuscript, since he had already planned to publish his work in 1918. It describes in great detail the operations on the Italian front. As can be seen from some of the enclosed letters, publication in 1918 initially failed due to censorship and was later, in the late 1930s, rejected by publishing houses, partly due to a shortage of paper. The Austrian officer Otto Matzenauer was in WW1 with the "30.5 cm Mortar Battery No. 19" and received numerous awards and decorations, including the Austrian Iron Cross. This important album includes over 600 mostly captioned photographs from 1914-1918 of the Alpine War in Italy. It shows original photographs of the Austrian artillery in action on the mountain front, participation in the Isonzo battles, mountain and winter fighting, artillery positions, destruction of war equipment and towns, a downed Italian airman in the high mountains, and the battle of the Alps. Airman in the high mountains, awarding of decorations, soldiers with captured Ital. Trench tank, observation balloons, breakthrough battle at Tolmein, railroad tank train, many photos of technology, vehicles and equipment, as well as portrait photos of Matzenauer and his family. In addition, a watercolor, a pencil drawing, an etching, maps, stamps, newspaper clippings, letters. The enclosed handwritten war diary of over 400 pages also served Matzenauer as a manuscript, since he had already planned to publish his work in 1918 under the title "Mit 30,5 cm in Italien. From the Isonzo to the Brenta 1917-1918." It describes in great detail his experiences during the war years and during missions on the Italian front. As can be seen from some enclosed letters, the publication in 1918 initially failed due to censorship by the Leitmeritz public prosecutor's office and was later rejected by requested publishers at the end of the 1930s, among other things due to a shortage of paper.