In the introduction to this album, first published in 1916, the author,Ernst Reisinger, states his intention of offering a work that is not strictly a travel account but that will strengthen the bonds between Greece and Germany. With ninety photographs by himself, F. Boissonnas and Van Lüpke, and reproductions of engravings by V.M. Coronelli, E. Dodwell, J. Stuart and N. Revett, and L.-E.-S.-J. de Laborde, as well as scholarly texts by L. Ross, E. Curtius and others, which treat the subject of Greece in depth, Reisinger aims to offer a token of love to the Greek people. He collected his material from libraries in Munich and Berlin during the First World War. Many reproductions in the volume come from photographs in the Prussian Photographic Archive in Berlin and present rare views (of around 1910) of mainly continental Greece and the islands.

On browsing through the album, we come upon views from Athens and Attica, Corinth, the Argolid, Arcadia and Messinia, Epirus, Mount Athos, the Ionian Islands, Aegina and the Cyclades. It is moving to see the Isthmus of Corinth, Bassae, Sparta and Mystras, Methana, Tiryns, Eleusis and Epidaurus, Hosios Loukas, Meteora, the Byzantine churches in Arta, Melos, Tempe, Paros, Agrinio and Amphissa, in unbiased shots from the first decade of the twentieth century. It should be noted that the photographs of Corinth were taken before the excavations of the American School, and those in Olympia and Delphi before the restoration of the respective temples at these archaeological sites.

Written by Ioli Vingopoulou

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  A street in the ancient cemetery of Kerameikos, in front of Dipylon gate.

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  The Lion Gate of Mycenae.

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  The church of Agia Theodora in Arta, from the southeast.

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  St. Stephen's monastery in Meteora (15th century), from the north.

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  The monastery of Great Meteoron from the east.

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  Interior of tholos tomb of Orchomenus (2nd millenium BCE); the main entrance and the entrance to the funerary chamber.

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  The exterior of the church of Panagia Scripou in Orchomenus. Band with byzantine inscriptions and decorative elements.

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  The monastery of Hosios Loukas in Phocis, from the west.

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  The Gymnasium of Delphi with Phaedriades in the background.

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  The western coast of Corfu. Pontikonisi islet on the left.

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  The castle of Methana.

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  The Arcadian Gate and part of the city wall of Ancient Messene, from the southwest.

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  The monastery of Voulcano in Messenia. The peak of Mount Ithome on the right.

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  The church of the monastery of Pantanassa in Mystras. Part of the niche with columns and the bell tower, from the south.

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  The city and castle of Amphissa (Salona) from the south.

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  Delphi before the excavations of the French School of Archaeology. The church of Profitis Ilias and the village of Kastri. Drawing by Edward Dodwell, 1805.

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  Title page.

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  The Parthenon from the northwest.

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  The Acropolis and Lycabettus hill from the west.

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  The northern slope of the Acropolis.

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  Lycabettus hill from the terrace of the German Archaeological Institute (SW).

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  The columns of Hadrian's Library. A covered street. In the background, the Frankish towers of the Acropolis. (Drawn and engraved by Joseph Thürmer).

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  View of the Parthenon from the west, with part of the frieze.

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  The Caryatids of the Erechtheion from the south.

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  The Caryatids seen from the interior of Erechtheion.

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  The Temple of Hephaestus, Athens. The eastern peristyle of the temple from the north.

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  The Roman Agora and the Tower of the Winds from the southeast.

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  The Theatre of Dionysus from the southeastern slope of the Acropolis (from the northwest).

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  The church of Agios Eleutherios or Panagia Gorgoepikoos (Mikri Mitropoli) from the southwest.

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  The promontory of Sounion with the Temple of Poseidon, from the west.

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  The church of Dafni monastery from the northeast.

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  Ancient Corinth with Acrocorinth from the north.

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  Acrocorinth. The middle gate of the walls of the medieval castle from the exterior (from the south).

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  The bay of Polis, Ithaca, from the north.

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  Lefkada. The valley of Nidri and Vlichos bay, seen from the slope of Skaros.

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  Small harbour in Milos.

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  View of Fira in Santorini.

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  The church of Panagia Ekatontapiliani in Paros (the court and western side).

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  The vale of Tempe.

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  The vale of Tempe.

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  The monastery of Great Meteoron (14th century), seen from Varlaam monastery (SE).

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  The lake and city of Ioannina.

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  The monument of the Lion of Chaeronea, restored in the years 1902-1903.

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  The church of Scripou in Orchomenus, from the west.

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  The crypt of Hosios Loukas monastery.

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  The Athenian treasury in Delphi, from the east.

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  The stadium of Delphi.

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  The Castalian spring in Delphi, with niches for votive offerings.

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  Delphi. The theatre, the foundations of the Temple of Apollo, the Athenian treasury and the road to Arachova.

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  Lake Trichonis. The ancient city of Thermos on the hill tops.

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  The sarcophagus of Saint Theodora in Arta.

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  The Monastery of Mega Spilaion.

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  The ancient theatre of Epidaurus. The western entrance to the orchestra.

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  The Temple of Hera in Olympia, from the southwest. Philippeion on the foreground.

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  View of Mystras. The citadel and Despot's palace. The churches of Hodegetria (Aphentiko) and Agioi Theodoroi.

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  The interior of the metropolis of Agios Dimitrios in Mystras. Arch with early 14th century fresco.

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  Mystras, where Goethe placed the second part of Faust. The monastery of Pantanassa in the background.

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  Bridge of the Ottoman era over Eurotas river.

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  The village of Trypi near Sparta.

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  The peak of Taygetus from the ancient theatre of Sparta.

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  The lion of Nafplio, sculpted by Siegel on behalf of Ludwig I, in memory of the Bavarians who died in Greece in 1833-34.

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  Nafplion with the acropolis of Acronauplia and the fortress of Palamidi, from the northern side of the bay.

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  The eastern stoa of the Palace of Tiryns, from the south.

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  The Tholos Tomb at Mycenae, known as the Treasury of Atreus (2nd millenium BCE).

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  The Acropolis of Mycenae from the summit of Chonia.

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  Grave circle A in the Acropolis of Mycenae. In the distance, the posterior part of Lion's Gate, seen from the southeast.

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  A peristyle in the monastery of Great Lavra, Mount Athos.

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  Vatopedi monastery, Mount Athos.

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  The Temple of Zeus in Olympia (5th century BCE), from the southeast.

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  Ancient Olympia from the west. Alfeios river on the west, Croneios hill on the left.

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  Lake Stymphalia in Corinthia.

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  The Temple of Apollo Epicurius in Bassae from the northwest (5th century BCE).

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  Acrocorinth. The lowest and middle gate viewed from the interior (NW). Part of the walls of the medieval castle.

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  The telesterion of the Temple of Demetra in Eleusis, from the west. The small church of Panagia Mesosporitissa in the distance.

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  The western side of the Temple of Hephaestus in Athens, with part of the frieze.

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  The Erechtheion and Lycabettus hill from the southwest, at sunset.

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  The Acropolis, the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the hill of the Nymphs (Philopappos hill) from the east.

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  The Temple of Athena Nike from the northeast.

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  The Temple of Olympian Zeus from the southwest.

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  The ancient cemetery of Kerameikos, in front of Dipylon gate. The funerary stele of Dexileos.

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  Ancient Corinth. The western side of the Temple of Apollo, from the northwest.

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  The Acropolis of Tiryns with the remains of the cyclopean walls of the late Helladic era, from the southeast.

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  The ancient theatre of Epidaurus.

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  The bridge of Arta, over Arachthus river in Epirus, seen from the southeast.

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  The Temple of Aphaea in Aegina from the southwest.