Manfred von Richthofen (‘The Red Baron’) Signed Photograph

"Fr. v. Richthofen / Rittmeister"—rare signed portrait of the legendary Red Baron, picturing famed German World War I flying ace Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen in military uniform, mailed by his father on June 18, 1918, less than two months after his son's death

Rare matte-finish 3.25 x 5.25 portrait postcard of famed German World War I flying ace Manfred Freiherr von Richthofen, picturing him in his decorated military uniform, which bears the prestigious Pour le Mérite just below his collar, signed in fountain pen on the image, "Fr. v. Richthofen / Rittmeister." Published with the printed caption, "Unser erfolgreichster Kampf-Flieger. Freiherr von Richthofen." Archivally double-matted and framed to an overall size of 14.5 x 16.75; window to frame backing reveals the reverse of the postcard, which bears a lengthy handwritten letter in German by Richthofen's father, Major Albrecht Freiherr von Richthofen, postmarked June 18, 1918, and addressed to Alexander Blümich, thanking him for the memorial marching song ‘Der Rote Kampfflieger’ (‘The Red Fighter Pilot’) dedicated to his son. In fine condition, with the signature somewhat muted against the dark background.

Credited with 80 confirmed aerial victories, Manfred von Richthofen (1892–1918) was the highest-scoring fighter ace of the First World War and the most celebrated aviator of his generation. Flying the crimson-painted Fokker Dr.I triplane that earned him the enduring nickname ‘The Red Baron,’ he became an international celebrity and a powerful symbol of German air superiority. His death in combat near the Somme on April 21, 1918, at the age of 25, transformed him from a wartime hero into an enduring legend, and signed photographs from his brief career remain among the most coveted relics of early military aviation.

Provenance: Bonhams, Fine Books and Manuscripts: Lot 175, June 2022.