1932 Waldorf-Astoria Marine and Schutztruppen Card Album

This is an original interwar German cigarette-card album titled Uniformen der Marine und Schutztruppen, translated as Uniforms of the Navy and Colonial Troops. It was published in Munich by the Waldorf-Astoria Zigarettenfabrik G.m.b.H. as a supplementary volume to the firm’s larger military-uniform series.

The complete wording on the interior title page reads “Uniformen der Marine und Schutztruppen. Waldorf-Astoria Zigarettenfabrik G.m.b.H. München. Anhang zur Bildersammlung Uniformen der Alten Armee.” This translates as “Uniforms of the Navy and Colonial Troops. Waldorf-Astoria Cigarette Factory Limited Liability Company, Munich. Supplement to the picture collection Uniforms of the Old Army.”

Published circa 1932, this is not an Imperial-period publication. It is an early 1930s retrospective collector album devoted to the uniforms, organization, ships, and colonial formations of the former Kaiserliche Marine (Imperial German Navy) and the Schutztruppen (German colonial troops). The subject matter is primarily Imperial German and First World War, while the album itself belongs to the interwar cigarette-card collecting era.

The album measures approximately 11.5 by 10 inches when closed. It is bound in dark navy-blue card covers with a red cloth spine. The front is decorated in gold, red, and black with an ornamental border, Iron Cross motifs, oak leaves, acorns, crossed ribbons, and a central title medallion. The rear cover repeats the gold border and displays two crossed Waldorf-Astoria flags beneath a crown.

The album was designed to hold 96 individually issued color Sammelbilder (collector cards), arranged as eight numbered series of twelve cards each. The cards are mounted within printed spaces and accompanied by identifying German captions. The watercolor-style illustrations present a broad survey of Imperial German naval and colonial uniforms, including officers, cadets, engineers, physicians, administrative officials, deck officers, noncommissioned officers, sailors, Schutztruppe personnel, and colonial police formations.

The first series is headed “Serie 1: Seeoffiziere, Fähnriche z. S., Seekadetten,” translated as “Series 1: Sea Officers, Ensigns at Sea, and Naval Cadets.” The illustrated uniforms include admirals, vice admirals, captains, lieutenants, officer candidates, and naval cadets in full dress, tropical dress, service dress, greatcoats, and working uniforms.

The second series is titled “Serie 2: Marine-Ingenieure, Ärzte, Verwaltung,” translated as “Series 2: Naval Engineers, Physicians, and Administration.” It records the distinctive uniforms of naval engineering officers, medical officers, paymasters, administrative personnel, and related specialist branches.

The third series bears the heading “Serie 3: Deckoffiziere, Unteroffiziere d. Marine,” translated as “Series 3: Warrant Officers and Noncommissioned Officers of the Navy.” These cards depict senior shipboard specialists, petty officers, signal personnel, machinists, and sailors in a variety of duty and shore uniforms.

The eighth series is titled “Serie 8: Schutztruppen III Polizeitruppen,” translated as “Series 8: Colonial Troops III, Police Troops.” It illustrates personnel from Kamerun, Togo, Deutsch-Südwestafrika, Deutsch-Ostafrika, Neuguinea, Yap, and Samoa. The figures include European officers and locally recruited soldiers, musicians, police personnel, field troops, mounted patrolmen, and colonial administrative attendants.

Card number 89 is absent. Its caption reads “Polizeitruppe Togo, Polizeimeister, weißer Anzug,” translated as “Togo Police Troop, Police Master in White Uniform.” Areas of paper and adhesive residue remain within the empty mounting space. The album is therefore offered as incomplete, and no representation is made that every other card has been individually counted.

In addition to the mounted uniform cards, the album contains printed reference pages devoted to the Imperial German Navy. “Die Deutsche Flotte 1914–1918” translates as “The German Fleet, 1914–1918” and presents silhouettes, names, displacement figures, armament information, and other specifications for German battleship classes.

Another reference page is headed “Einteilung der Alten Marine,” translated as “Organization of the Old Navy.” It outlines the Hochseeflotte (High Seas Fleet), battle squadrons, reconnaissance forces, torpedo-boat formations, cruiser squadrons, foreign stations, naval stations at Kiel and Wilhelmshaven, marine inspectorates, and naval training institutions.

Cigarette-card albums became a major component of European commercial collecting culture during the first decades of the twentieth century. Individual cards were distributed with tobacco products and assembled in albums prepared by the manufacturer. Military subjects were particularly popular because they combined colorful artwork with reference information on uniforms, ranks, equipment, ships, and military organization.

The present album reflects the continued German interest in the armed forces of the former Kaiserreich after the monarchy ended in 1918. It also preserves detailed period interpretations of Imperial naval and colonial dress at a time when many of the depicted uniforms had already disappeared from active service. Today, these albums are collected both as military reference works and as artifacts of interwar commercial and popular culture.

The album remains in good, age-appropriate condition. The covers exhibit moderate rubbing, small edge chips, corner wear, surface scratches, and localized finish loss. The red spine covering shows wear but remains present. The interior pages display expected age toning, occasional small spots, light handling wear, and minor edge discoloration. The mounted cards retain generally strong color and clear printed detail. Card 89 is missing, with mounting residue remaining in its place. No major separation of the covers or extensive interior tearing is observed.

Despite the missing card, this remains a visually appealing and historically informative reference album covering the Kaiserliche Marine, German colonial forces, colonial police formations, and the organization of the German fleet during the First World War.