Photographer Heinrich Hoffman (1885-1957) worked mainly as a press photographer in Munich before he met Adolf Hitler and began documenting the Nazi Party. He joined the party in 1920 and took the first portraits of Hitler in 1923. Hoffman, who had no political ambitions himself and venerated Hitler, became part of Hitler’s personal entourage and eventually served as his personal photographer. After the National Socialists came to power, he founded the press photo agency and publishing house “Heinrich Hoffmann. Verlag Nationalsozialistischer Bilder,” which, thanks to his exclusive access to Hitler and other party leaders, became one of the largest and most lucrative press photo agencies in Germany. The illustrated books about Hitler he published became an important part of Nazi photo propaganda. These four photos were taken around 1927 in Hoffmann’s studio and show Hitler practicing speaker’s poses. Hitler’s speaking ban in Bavaria was lifted in March 1927, so that he could now again publicly operate as a speaker. The images show how consciously Hitler staged his speeches not only through his choice of words and voice, but also through his gestures.