RUDOLF: (1858-1889) Crown Prince of Austria, the only son of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria and Duchess Elisabeth (´Sisi´) of Bavaria. Rudolf died, at the young age of 30, in a suicide pact with his mistress, Mary Vetsera, at the Mayerling hunting lodge in 1889. The ensuing scandal made international headlines. A rare vintage signed cabinet photograph, the sepia albumen print by Rudolf Krziwanek of Vienna depicting the young, dapper Crown Prince standing in a full-length pose wearing a dark, tailored frock coat and patterned cravat whilst holding his top hat in one hand. Rudolf rests one elbow on the ornamented Japoniste style cabinet at his side and a circular pedestal table with a highly decorated base featuring sculptural figures can also be seen. Signed (´Rudolf´) by the Crown Prince in black ink to the lower photographer´s mount. With the photographer´s imprint to the verso, partially erased and with some ink annotations in another hand. Some very light, minor age wear and uniform discoloration, otherwise about VG