Droog Magazine. Investigations

droog magazine

HOME

September 24, 2019 - Droog Magazine periodical for investigative journalism

The Hitler Forgery Industry

to Hitler Forgery Industry main page - to Droog Magazine

A 'Hitler' in Florida (2)

Affiliate Auctions, Tallahassee

June 25, 2019

Introduction | Forged signature |

Certificate of Authenticity | Rudolf Hess |

Previous Hitler auctions in Tallahassee

2019 | Auctions | Press

By Bart FM Droog

The strange business of selling fakes, forgeries and other concoctions attributed to Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) and other Nazi criminals

Introduction

Affiliate Auctions in Tallahassee (Florida, USA) is planning to auction on June 25, 2019 the 84rd alleged Hitler artwork that surfaced in 2019. This time it is a pencil drawing, allegedly depicting Stefanie Rabatsch, the girl from Linz who was secretly loved by the young Hitler in 1906/1907.

The work - lot #8363 - has a fantasy Hitler signature on it. On the back a small text can be found, allegedly written by Rudolf Hess.

The papers accompanying this work consist of a Certificate of Authenticity issued by Stephen R. Pastore and a few Wikipedia prints.

The auction house estimates that this work will be sold for $ 9,000 to $ 12,000; The bidding has started already: on June 14 two people had made bids, setting the price on $ 2,300. The startprice was $ 2,200.

Lot 8363 on AA auction June 25, 2019.

Description by auction house

"Pencil sketch by Adolf Hitler believed to be of an early love interest, Stefanie Rabatsch, née Isak. It has her name written along the upper left of the image. In the bottom right of the page is an alleged early example of Hitler's signature. The back of the paper appears to have the signature of Rudolf Hess and the date 1937. Included is a Certificate of Authenticity from Stephen R Pastore, author of numerous works on Hitler's art, which attests to the authenticity of the piece and is dated from 5/25/18. Measures 11 1/4 x 8 7/8 inches. This lot has a reserve."

Source:

Lot 8363 WWII Adolf Hitler pencil sketch Stefanie Rabatsch. Esy. $9,000 - $12,000. June premier military & fine arts auction. Affiliate auctions, Tallahasseee, [seen 15-06-2019].
https://live.affiliatedauctions.com/lots/view/1-1ZLQCX/wwii-adolf-hitler-pencil-sketch-stefanie-rabatsch

to top of page

Forged Hitler signature

According to the accompanying Certificate of Authenticity this work would originate from 'Hitler’s early Vienna period'. Hitler lived in Vienna from 1908 to 1913. So this would mean that the work would be made somewhere in 1908-1910.

But as far as is known, not a single authentic Hitler drawing or sketch from this period has survived. The earliest known watercolor made by Hitler in Vienna originates from 1910/1911. An authentic Hitler signature, as he might have used on drawings from this period, and that could be used for comparison purposes, simply doesn't exist.

There's however such an authentic earlier signature, from 1906.
And there are some authentic ones from 1910-1914.

Authentic, 1906	Tallahassee fake, allegedly from 1908-1909
Authentic, 1914

The signature on the June 2019 Tallahassee 'Hitler' work looks completely different than the signatures Hitler used on watercolors and drawings he made in 1906-1914. Even a layman can see this.

But artists use almost always a different signature on their artworks than they do on documents. So how does this Tallahassee 'Hitler' signature compares with an authentic written Hitler signature from 1908? The answer is simple: it doesn't.

Authentic, 1908

Tallahassee fake, allegedly from 1908-1910

Stefanie

The title, 'Stefanie', is written in a style completely different from the way Hitler wrote in 1908:

Authentic Hitler handwritten text, July 1908

Tallahassee fake, allegedly from 1908-1910

But what if the CoA-issuer was wrong, and Hitler made this drawing on a later date, for example in 1937? Well, this is how Hitler wrote and signed in 1937:

Authentic Hitler handwritten text and signature, June 29, 1937

Sources

On Stefanie Rabatsch: Franz Jetzinger. Hitlers Jugend. Phantasien, Lügen - und die Wahrheit. Mit 20 Tafeln. Europa-Verlag, Wien, [1956]. Pages 142-149, 153-157, 169, 173, 177-179, 211, 216, 238, 299.

Authentic signatures 1906: August Kubizek. Adolf Hitler, mein Jugendfreund. Stocker, Graz/Göttingen, 1953. 352 p. 6the edition 1996, 'Sonderausgabe 2002. Page [0].
Authentic signatures 1908: Werner Maser. Adolf Hitler. Legende - Mythos - Wirklichkeit. Naumann & Göbel, Köl, 1971. Page 483.
Authentic signature 1914: courtesy US Army Center for Military History, Fort Belvoir, Virginia
Authentic handwritten text 1908: Postcard ('Dreifaltigkeitssäule Wien') from Hitler to August Kubizek, sent July 1908. Legacy Franz Jetzinger. No. 92. Oberösterreichisches Landesarchiv, Linz.
Authentic handwritten text and signature 1937: Signed photo given by Hitler to the Canadian prime minister W.L. Mackenzie King, June 29 1937. National Archives of Canada, C-011452.

to top of page

Rudolf Hess

The text on the back consist of a signature allegedly written by Rudolf Hess and a code. It has some similarities with an authentic Hess signature - which is rather surprising, given the amateurish fantasy Hitler signature on the front.

Authentic Hess signature, 1941	Fake Hess signature, Tallahasssee, 2019
Authentic date, 1941	Code on forgery

The code appears to be OA-20-7.112. The meaning is unknown.

But why would Hiler give away a portrait of a girl he was once in love with to Rudolf Hess, who had never even heard of her? Yet again, it’s an over the top forger's blunder.

Sources

Tower of London; https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/.
Rudolf Hess in the Tower of London. Yeomanwarders.com, 16-07-2017.
http://yeomanwarders.com/rudolf-hess-in-the-tower-of-london/

to top of page

Certificate of Authenticity (CoA)

Lot 3335 is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity issued by Stephen R. Pastore, dated May 25, 2018:

It reads:

"Certificate of Authenticity

I have examined the above referenced portrait drawing (watercolor, pencil & color pencil on paper) of the artist’s acquintance, Stefanie Rabatsch (an extant photograph of the subject is pictured as well) and the supporting documents of Ilse Hess and August Kubizek and find them in order and consistent with the known oeuvre of the artist, Adolf Hitler, former Reichschancellor of Germany (n. 1889, d. 1945). I am the author of three catalogue books on the artwork of Adolf Hitler and a recognized authority in the field of Hitler’s art and literary forensics, having over thirty years’ experience. It is my considered opinion that the artwork is from Hitler’s early Vienna period and is authentic showing typical characteristics of Hitler’s artwork. The signature is typical of the artist and consistent with known exemplars.

Stephen R. Pastore
Date: 5/25/18."

Comments on this CoA

This CoA proves that Stephen R. Pastore is either a swindler or a very misinformed person. As we have seen, the ‘Hitler’ signature does not resemble any authentic Hitler signature. The work itself does not show any typical characteristic of Hitler’s artwork nor is it ‘consistent with the known oeuvre of the artist’ – au contraire. And on top of that: Stefanie Rabatsch was not ‘the artist’s acquintance’ -she had never met him.

Mr. Pastore is of course free to give his opinion. But in this CoA text he’s clearly telling lies. By doing so, he joined the ranks of the known Hitler CoA-swindlers.

On the photos shown by the auction house no supporting documents of Ilse Hess and August Kubizek - as mentioned by Pastore - could be seen. Possibly Pastore referred to this photo of a print from Wikipedia (printed on May 23, 2019), on which Kubizek was mentioned, shown on the auction site:

Furthermore: Stephen R. Pastore claims to be 'a recognized authority in the field of Hitler’s art'. Maybe recognized by himself, but certainly not by any serious (art) historian. His 'three catalogue books on the artwork of Adolf Hitler' are basically one book - The complete paintings of Adolf Hitler - which is utter rubbish.

He claims too to be a recognized authority in the field of 'literary forensics'. Literary forensics - also known as forensic linguistics? This highly specialized field consists basically of the research of (literary) texts for clues of authorship or dialects - it has no relevancy at all for the authentication of alleged Hitlers.

But has Pastore any experience at all as a literary forensic researcher? No publications by him on this field are known. No publications about literary forensics and Stephen R. Pastore are known.

Already in 2009 Stephen R. Pastore was unmasked as an author who bragged about his prominence and recognition. It seems that the same applies to the claims he made in this CoA.

Sources:
W.J. Elvin III. LiteratEye #6: Tracking an Elusive Author. Art of prank.com, 19-03-2009.
https://artoftheprank.com/2009/03/20/literateye-tracking-an-elusive-author/
W.J. Elvin III. LiteratEye #10: Poetic Injustice. Art ofprank.com, 17-04-2009.
https://artoftheprank.com/2009/04/17/literateye-poetic-injustice/

to top of page

Affiliate Auctions - in the past

On March 8, 2018 this auction house sold six clearly forged Hitler sketches, as being authentic Hitler artworks. All six were accompanied by fraudulent certificates of authenticity issued by Frank P. Garo. The works were sold for $20,800.-.

In 'The Tallahassee Auction' (Droog Magazine, 09-03-2018) we reported on this case.

On April 11, 2019 Affiliate Auctions sold another fake Hitler. This one was sold for $ 3,800.

We reported on that case in 'A Hitler' in Florida' (Droog Magazine, 03-04-2019).

to top of page