Item #005814 Winston Churchill Memorial Appeal Poster
Winston Churchill Memorial Appeal Poster
Winston Churchill Memorial Appeal Poster
Winston Churchill Memorial Appeal Poster
Winston Churchill Memorial Appeal Poster

Winston Churchill Memorial Appeal Poster

London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1965. Poster. This original 1965 poster advertises the Winston Churchill Memorial Appeal. Measuring 20 x 15 inches (50.8 x 38.1 cm), the poster prominently features a graphic illustration based on Yousef Karsh’s iconic 1941 “Roaring Lion” portrait. Printed in black and red, the text reads, “WINSTON CHURCHILL MEMORIAL APPEAL Give generously – he did!”. Along the bottom edge is the printer’s information, “DESIGNED BY J WALTER THOMPSON COMPANY LIMITED PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY EYRE AND SPOTTISWOODE LIMITED (HER MAJESTY’S PRINTERS) FROM AN ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH BY KARSH OF OTTAWA”. This poster is free of folds and creases with some light wear to the edges, two losses to the upper margin, and a puncture through Churchill’s chest. The paper is evenly browned with a hint of spotting and two pieces of tape applied to the verso.

The man who led the Allies to victory and again led his nation in the midst of the Cold War finally and irrevocably relinquished the reins of power on 5 April 1955 at the age of 80. During the final decade of his long life, Churchill passed "into a living national memorial" of the time he had lived and the Nation, Empire, and free world he had served, culminating in his death on 24 January 1965.

The day after Churchill died, on 25 January, the Queen sent a message to Parliament announcing: "Confident in the support of Parliament for the due acknowledgement of our debt of gratitude and in thanksgiving for the life and example of a national hero" and concluded "I have directed that Sir Winston's body shall lie in State in Westminster Hall and that thereafter the funeral service shall be held in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul.” The outpouring of national and international sorrow and regard - from friends and foes, sympathizers and opponents alike - was both remarkable and effusive. In attendance at his remarkably elaborate state funeral were “six sovereigns, six presidents and sixteen prime ministers” as well as representatives of 112 nations. Queen Elizabeth II also attended – the first time in a century that a British monarch attended a commoner’s funeral. Before the service in St. Paul’s cathedral, Churchill’s coffin had passed through the countryside on a train. The Oxford don, Dr. A. L. Rowse, recorded “The Western sky filled with the lurid glow of winter sunset; the sun setting on the British Empire.”

The nation channeled loss to charitable purpose with the commencement of the Winston Churchill Memorial Appeal. Naturally, the image used for the effort was the famous photograph taken by a then-obscure Armenian refugee on 30 December 1941, just after Churchill had addressed the Canadian Parliament. “The Roaring Lion”, as the image came to be known, appeared on the cover of Life magazine and established the international reputation of the photographer, Yousuf Karsh. One of the most recognizable images of the twentieth century, this portrait remains the archetypal photographic portrayal of Churchill’s character. Beginning 28 February 1965, thousands of fliers were distributed, these posters were displayed, and full page newspaper advertisements were printed across the isles. By April over 81 million pounds had been raised for the Churchill Travelling Fellowships, a program that awards travel research grants to citizens of the UK and is still in operation today. Item #005814

Price: $140.00

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