Bambi von Braun Part III: Finishing Touches and Making the Evil Stand Out.

Note:  The images in this post contain symbols of Nazi Germany. These are not meant to offend anyone or in any way glorify the armed forces or political leadership of what I consider to be one of the most evil empires in history.The post however will attempt to explain however, some of the reasons why the colours and design of  some Nazi symbols were as visually effective as they were and continue to be. If you are offended by stuff like this, please find another post to read.

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I was lucky this week in that two orders from Monkey Depot arrived back-to-back on Thursday and Friday, and while most of the stuff I received is slated for figures I have yet to obtain, the package I received on Thursday contained SS rank insignia and the red, white and black Swastika armband worn on the black uniforms of the non-combat troops of the Schutzataffel or SS.  Though this uniform was last worn in 1939 or 1940 before being switched to a dove grey uniform worn through the wartime years Hollywood has regularly made it in film out to be something it never was; a Gestapo uniform.  The Gestapo were SECRET police and as such wore no uniform and so one might be tempted to think that Hollywood directors who used these uniforms that were not worn during the war in WWII films to depict agents of a service that wore no uniform are all complete idiots, but I have a different explanation, which I think is better.



The explanation lies in the extreme effectiveness of the combination of colours and shapes presented by the black uniform with it's silver trim and the red-white and black armband, and the very simplicity of it's central device, the swastika, a symbol the Nazis borrowed from Hinduism.  The Nazis did not invent this combination of colours, incidentally.  Red, white and black were the colours of the pre-Weimar Republic German flag. and this combination of colours has been used in advertising, propaganda posters and magazine covers, conceptual art and street signs everywhere you go.  I notice consciously in everything because I was trained to do so as part of my commercial photography training but most untrained observers will notice it subconsciously, and if you don't see it everywhere now, then perhaps the next time you go walking about town, you should actively look for the combination of either red and white, black and white or all three colours in signage. You'll be surprised how often you notice it.


So far as I know, the principles of the use of these colours along with simple shapes were first laid down by the Russian artist, photographer and typesetter El Lissitsky in the 1920's in a book entitled "About Two Squares."  A quick look at some his his conceptual work will confirm the effectiveness of the combination.  



https://www.google.com/search?q=el+lissitzky&client=firefox-b-e&sxsrf=AOaemvIpNWVyvsb4lFmfpxefz_5Wg8jJ0Q:1631957472408&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=aeyCntjkgNyySM%252CN208sJkrgyAQ1M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTczMlT2hXkRc9aawU38IkBJcKo0g&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjuj7mrm4jzAhVineAKHRLCD78Q_h16BAhLEAE#imgrc=LzIg6Z1WzqZdKM

You'll find the same principles at work in the another Stalinist era Russian photographer and artist, Aleksandr Rodchenko.

https://www.google.com/search?q=aleksandr+rodchenko&client=firefox-b-e&sxsrf=AOaemvK6M9-yLsgxVqhNfu3qyiPdeJZ4gA:1631960419415&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=uB-ROljhcVQBkM%252CsG0Zt2zVg3xHcM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kSww8CLO_4Hxi-AS3if8XzOc0-qfw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi0ntiopojzAhUCTt8KHWh8BksQ_h16BAg5EAE#imgrc=uB-ROljhcVQBkM

You will also find the principles in the work of American conceptual artist Barbara Kruger

https://www.google.com/search?q=barbara+kruger+artworks&client=firefox-b-e&sxsrf=AOaemvItjCQzhEXwBadLLlz4RsF6oFkI3Q:1631960632818&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=HV8CENpPRIGAgM%252CveW4KR-Vb0V0HM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kS7HATRLiWeUBq_IWy21p5ImtC94w&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwittbmOp4jzAhWydN8KHVfYAasQ_h16BAhIEAE#imgrc=HV8CENpPRIGAgM

Now having established the efficacy of these colours in symbology, posters, and visual messaging, we need need to examine another couple of historical facts. The Nazis were not the first Germans to come up with mostly black uniforms, and skull and crossbones badge worn on SS caps was not invented by the SS or even unique to it.  Black was the traditional colour of German Hussar uniforms in the 18th and 19th Centuries, and the skull and crossbones was the traditional device on their hats.  Prior to German unification, pretty much the entire army of the Duchy of Brunswick work black uniforms and the skull and crossbones device on their headgear as well.  


So having established that the Nazis invented neither the Swastika, the used of red-white-black in symbology or even all black uniforms with death heads, why then would Hollywood directors make so much use of a uniform that wasn't even worn during most of the war?  I think the answer lies in two parts; first was we can clearly see, it mainly black outfit with strong red white and black armband presents a striking and unique image that sets it apart from all the other uniforms you would see in a film, including all the other Nazi uniforms, and this is somehow befitting of someone you want to identify as being particularly vile, i.e. a Gestapo officer. And the second is in the visual the history of that uniform itself in prewar Nazi rituals...the night time marches with lit torches, the book burnings and so on.  We have a lot of very negative, visual imagery associated with this uniform in the immediate pre-war years that we naturally associate it with evil.  Hence back to my first argument. So the the uniform immediately stands out to the viewer while at the same time would immediately symbolize great evil to anyone even vaguely familiar with visual history of Nazi Germany.


Now the figure I've created here is basically a fantasy representation of a modern modern Nazi using WWII and pre-WWII iconography.  There is nothing vaguely realistic about the way this figure is dressed if she were planning to go into combat, except maybe as some sort of paramilitary policeman in a developing world country or something like that...but we have the striking contrast of the beautiful face and shapely figure coming together with the symbols of what was arguably the darkest. most evil empire in human history, and this tells us that despite her stunning looks, this character is a bad, bad girl, and so bad that she stands aside from the other bad girls in my bad-guys and girls collection.

First off, Bambi looks amazing! really looking forward to seeing her in action! I also enjoyed the post, very informative .

Informative and interesting discussion of the color combinations.

How about black leather, specifically? In addition to being connected to "Gestapo" type jackets, black leather is also a hallmark of other "tough" or "dangerous" characters, like motorcycle gangs or dominatrixes.

"Good guys" like Allied fighter pilots or Indiana Jones wear brown leather jackets, which do not seem nearly as malevolent, even though the style is similar, as do "biker jackets" in black or German WWI era jackets (which are usually portrayed as being black in modern renditions; I do not know if they actually were).

Black leather for boots - "jackboots" - is often associated with "bad guys."

Your research is absolutely correct Gary.
Hitler, or rather his Third Reich designers were perfectly aware that Red, White & Black are THE most eye-catching and effective colour scheme to the human eye.
Any graphic designer will also confirm that.
I am disappointed though that we as a society have apparently reached the stage where we feel the need to preface things such as your very fine pics with a warning for what is after all a very well known symbol, ....and also found on many Indian statues and temples. If a simple swastika is that confronting to anyone, then how will they ever learn about the history of this planet, ...and the effects of totalitarian dictatorships.
(Perhaps closer today than most people realise.)
It's a graphic design, ....a logo if you will. There have been several other totalitarian dictatorships, equally as evil, if not even worse than the Nazi Regime. They don't seem as well-known though (unless you are a student of modern history) because they didn't have a logo in those highly effective colours.

Again I commend you on your figure and the outfitting. Those together with your photos are excellent work indeed.

It's a sad thing that I would feel compelled to preface my remarks with a disclaimer, particularly in view of the fact that my mother's father was a member of the Belgian resistance and was imprisoned by the Nazis, and his sister was sent to Ravensbrück and Mathausen concentration camps.  My mother who was a child at the time still bears deep emotional scars of having the Gestapo....the real Gestapo come arrest her father.  

These things being said, some people are pretty easily offended these days and right-wing extremism seems on the rise and the last thing I want to to be taken for a Nazi sympathizer.  As for the swastika....well no matter what it means in Eastern religions...Hinduism, Buddhism etc. Hitler and his bunch have seen to it that in the west, most of us instinctively see it differently, and of course, I'm displaying it in the context that the Nazis wanted it displayed.  

It was during my photographic training, in which we were trained not only in the technical and artistic aspects of photography, but also to a degree in design that I became consciously aware of the work of Lissitsy, Rodchenko and Kruger and the power of the selection of colours to hammer home their message. Before that, I must have been, as we all must be at least subconsciously aware of it

What little photographic evidence I've seen of Gestapo agents on duty suggests that much like the Gestapo agent in an SS uniform, the Gestapo agent in a leather coat is an invention of movie makers to make the sinister Gestapo agents stand out a bit more to the movie audience, which they would not have wanted to do for real. Leather was in short supply and very expensive during the war, and the military's needs came before all else. I'm not saying that it was unheard of for a Gestapo man to own a leather coat, but probably not as common as movie makers would have us believe.

WWI aviators on all sides tended to wear long leather coats in whatever colours they could get them, I suppose. Leather jackets and leather flying suits were issued by both sides in WWII, and while German flight jackets, often worn on the ground, seem to have been black, pretty much all the leather flying suits I've seen, British, American, Japanese, German seem to have been brown.

Now as to Nazi uniforms and fashion, there seems to be universal agreement that the Nazis were as a whole very fashion conscious because they understood how uniforms convey both style and a message. They created fashion trends that we still live with today. Have you ever heard the term Nazi Chic? I admit that I had not until I started researching my answer to your question. These short articles however, are well worth the read.

https://listverse.com/2017/06/23/10-fascinating-ways-the-nazis-influenced-fashion/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_chic

https://medium.com/s/aesthetics-of-evil/nazi-chic-the-style-that-just-wont-go-away-f886cd58e38a

LeStryge wrote:

Your research is absolutely correct Gary.
Hitler, or rather his Third Reich designers were perfectly aware that Red, White & Black are THE most eye-catching and effective colour scheme to the human eye.
Any graphic designer will also confirm that.
I am disappointed though that we as a society have apparently reached the stage where we feel the need to preface things such as your very fine pics with a warning for what is after all a very well known symbol, ....and also found on many Indian statues and temples. If a simple swastika is that confronting to anyone, then how will they ever learn about the history of this planet, ...and the effects of totalitarian dictatorships.
(Perhaps closer today than most people realise.)
It's a graphic design, ....a logo if you will. There have been several other totalitarian dictatorships, equally as evil, if not even worse than the Nazi Regime. They don't seem as well-known though (unless you are a student of modern history) because they didn't have a logo in those highly effective colours.

Again I commend you on your figure and the outfitting. Those together with your photos are excellent work indeed.

Pol Pot's regime was surely as monstrous as the Nazi's but their uniform of shapeless black pyjamas and red and white checkered scarves, though sharing a colour palette with SS uniforms, were never as fashionable.

https://www.google.com/search?q=khmer+rouge+uniform&client=firefox-b-e&sxsrf=AOaemvKLlry2CR9wPI8H4T3Pwzxi7MATfw:1632007060582&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=y_kmOun0BQ8AOM%252CeiuYLW7Tok0vmM%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQbLw7zC2J5rE5qYkO0K2WXQwJzLw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjvifeI1InzAhWig-AKHbKDC9sQ9QF6BAgREAE&biw=1756&bih=871&dpr=1#imgrc=-KpQ-VTqt4tKMM

Stalinist Russia was also on a par with the Nazis when it came to evil, and yet despite being pioneers in the use of red-white-black iconography and illustration, the most memorable thing about that regime is the national anthem they adopted in 1943, which is, though I oppose everything behind the ideology it supported, a catchy tune.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpvq3hmCKCs&t=1s

Gary I always enjoy your seemingly vast knowledge and interest in Modern History. And your extensive research into all aspects of same.
I don't think there's the slightest danger of you being taken for a Nazi sympathiser, simply because you display a swastika appropriately on your 1/6 figure.

There are several books on Nazi Germany on my shelves but I'm no member of the Nazi Party.
I have a few Vodou items from my travels out on display, but I'm not a practitioner of that particular religion.
And just because I also own some human bones people should not make the assumption I'm someone akin to Jeffrey Dahmer.

LeStryge wrote:

And just because I also own some human bones people should not make the assumption I'm someone akin to Jeffrey Dahmer.

I used to own a partial antique human medical skeleton. During one of those ill-advised "lifestyle updates" in my past I sold it. Back then you could still sell such things via eBay. It brought good money, far more than I had paid for it, but not too long thereafter, eBay and other online venues cracked down on the sale of such things, making them almost impossible to replace, and considerably more expensive. Definitely one of the misguided sales I regret the most!

No doubt the Russians have produced some of the most beautiful music.



And what about that photo of a young Prince Harry in a night club smoking and sporting a swastika...

gibri wrote:

And what about that photo of a young Prince Harry in a night club smoking and sporting a swastika...

Excellent point Brian!

gibri wrote:

No doubt the Russians have produced some of the most beautiful music.



And what about that photo of a young Prince Harry in a night club smoking and sporting a swastika...

The mark of a really good tune is that you hear it once and never forget it. The first time I heard the Russian anthem, then the Soviet anthem, was at the beginning of the first game of the greatest hockey series of all time, the first Canada - Russia series in 1972. The game was played in my home town in the old Montreal Forum. The damn anthem was so long that my father joked that if it had gone on any longer, the ice would have melted.

Yes, the Russians have produced some very memorable music from the classics, to folk music. I'm very fond of the song "Katyusha" which was popular in WWII and is sung in the Japanese-release version of Girls und Panzer.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rkn-xqhSDc

Kimono Troop Command wrote:

The mark of a really good tune is that you hear it once and never forget it.

Hmmm, maybe I'd have to disagree on that point.
I've heard "The Radetzky March". Impossible to get that damn thing out of one's head!

Oh and also "Achy Breaky Heart"! (Inadvertently it must be said!)
Years of therapy may be needed.

LeStryge wrote:

Kimono Troop Command wrote:

The mark of a really good tune is that you hear it once and never forget it.

Hmmm, maybe I'd have to disagree on that point.
I've heard "The Radetzky March". Impossible to get that damn thing out of one's head!

Oh and also "Achy Breaky Heart"! (Inadvertently it must be said!)
Years of therapy may be needed.

Well, I happen to like the Radetzky March myself, but the point is taken that sometimes you hear a horrible song and can't get it out of your head either. Most anything by Céline Dion comes to mind.....

Kimono Troop Command wrote:

 Most anything by Céline Dion comes to mind.....

ABSOLUTELY!!!
"....on and on and on....."