Misleadingly titled as American Illustrated News: The Bridge Across the Atlantic: Berlin-London-New York, the short-lived publication (1934–1936) was actually created in Berlin as a vehicle for Nazi propaganda. Written in English, it targeted spectators, tourists and international press attending the 1936 Berlin Olympics. The theme of this 72-page “Olympic Number” is the “Heart of Europe and Its Development under Hitler.” It selectively characterizes the people, products and regions of Germany recovering from the First World War. Though it is predominantly illustrated, it also includes lengthy texts from Adolf Hitler, Rudolf Hess and other prominent members of the National Socialist Party.

Milner Library has in its collection the third and final issue published in the summer of 1936 prior to the summer Olympics. The physical piece is held in Milner Library’s Government Documents World War II Poster Collection. Because of its rarity, fragility, and potential for use in curricula and scholarly research, it became an ideal candidate for digitization.