An original press photograph capturing Winston S. Churchill in late April 1948 reviewing galleys of his forthcoming first volume of his Second World War memoirs at his desk at his country home, Chartwell.
London: Copyright, New York Times Photos, April 1948. Photograph. This is an original late April 1948 press photograph of Winston S. Churchill at work on his Second World War Memoirs, the first volume of which was published in June 1948. Appropriately, this image was captured at Chartwell, Churchill’s country home, which he called “my factory” for the incredible volume of writing he produced from Chartwell. Churchill, suited, serious, and sitting at his desk, is captured from his right side, turning to face the camera, his right hand on his chair, his left holding proof pages, with a further stack of dog-eared pages on his desk.
The gelatin silver print on glossy photo paper measures 10 x 8.125 inches. Condition is very good minus, the image clear and clean, though the print shows some wear to the edges, including minor creasing at the upper and lower left corners. The verso of the image features the purple copyright ink stamp of the “FLEET STREET, LONDON” offices of “New York Times Photos” with the admonition “THIS PHOTOGRAPH MUST NOT BE USED FOR ADVERTISING PURPOSES WITHOUT WRITTEN PERMISSION”. The original New York Times printed caption affixed to the verso is titled “NEW PICTURE OF MR. WINSTON CHURCHILL.” and reads in full: “A New York Times EXCLUSIVE photograph of The Right Hon., Winston S. Churchill , O.M. M.P., Leader of the Conservative Party, taken at his country home at Westerham, Kent, a few days ago. His memoirs are being published in many countries throughout the world. 27th April 1948. CECIL PHILLIPS. J.3375. IF NOT REQUIRED FOR IMMEDIATE USE PLEASE RETAIN FOR YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC LIBRARY.” There is also pencil notation.
Having done so much to win the war, Churchill faced frustration of his postwar plans when his wartime government fell to Labour in the General Election of July 1945. Now head of the Conservative Party with which he had such a contentious relationship during his more than four decades in Parliament, Churchill served as Leader of the Opposition until he returned to 10 Downing Street as prime minister after the General Election of October 1951. During that period, Churchill devoted substantial energies to writing his Second World War memoirs, which were published in six volumes between 1948 and 1953.
It is difficult to overstate the significance of the publication, both to the many millions of readers worldwide and to Churchill himself. Securing the rights to publish Churchill’s war memoirs has been called “perhaps the greatest coup of Twentieth Century publishing.” Sale of these rights enabled the financial security not only of Churchill, but of his family, via a special Family Trust whereby all earnings from his war memoirs would go to the benefit of his children and grandchildren without the burden of taxation.
Seldom, if ever, has history endowed a statesman with both singular ability to make history, and singular ability to write it. As with so much of what Churchill wrote, The Second World War is not "history" in the strictly academic, objectivist sense, but rather Churchill's perspective on history. In his March 1948 introduction to the first volume, Churchill disclaimed, "I do not describe it as history... it is a contribution to history..." Nonetheless the compelling fact remains, as stated by Churchill himself, "I am perhaps the only man who has passed through both the two supreme cataclysms of recorded history in high Cabinet office... I was for more than five years in this second struggle with Germany the Head of His Majesty's government. I write, therefore, from a different standpoint and with more authority than was possible in my earlier books."
Roughly a week before this image was captured, April 19, 1948 was the day of the first serialization of the first installment of Churchill’s war memoirs in Life magazine. Less than two weeks after this image was captured, Churchill, an early and ardent advocate of European unity and integration, presided over and spoke at The Hague Congress of Europe, 7-10 May 1948. There, informed by his leadership in the twentieth century’s two world wars, and with the consequences of the Second World War very much on his mind, Churchill advocated for creation of a pan-European political institution. Today’s Conservatives might wish not to know that, as their Party’s most iconic leader, Churchill exhorted advocates of European integration to “press forward together still faster and further in this momentous enterprise.”. Item #005227
Price: $200.00