Strauss II, Johann. (1825-1899) [Bertha Von Suttner (1843-1914)]

Signed Cabinet Photograph to the First Female Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, Bertha Von Suttner

Interesting signed photograph of the eminent Viennese composer, aka the “Waltz King,” best known for such all-time favorites as “The Beautiful Blue Danube” and the “Emperor Waltz” and for the operetta staple, “Die Fledermaus.” The composer has signed and inscribed Vienna, 5 August [18]92 to Bertha Von Suttner, winner of the 1905 Nobel Peace Prize. Two small pinholes to mount, else in fine condition. 4 x 6.5 inches (10.5 x 16.3 cm).

The first woman to be awarded the Peace Prize, Suttner wrote one of the nineteenth century's most influential books, the anti-war novel "Lay Down Your Arms" (1889). The title was provocative to many, but the anti-militaristic message caught on. In the 1870s she became a close friend of Alfred Nobel's, and they corresponded for years on the subject of peace. The Peace Prize Laureate became one of the leaders of the international peace movement, and in 1891 established the Austrian Peace Society. At the male-dominated peace congresses she stood out as a liberal and forceful leader. At the beginning of the new century she was referred to as the "generalissimo of the peace movement".

In the year prior to the present inscription, von Suttner's husband, the Baron, had founded the Vienna branch of the Verein zur Abwehr des Antisemitismus (Union for the defense against anti-Semitism), and Johann Strauss was a member.   (17185)


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Classical Music