Churchill Book Collector Archives - Rare Book Insider

Churchill Book Collector

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An original Second World War Official U.S. Navy photograph of the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Shaw, still aflame, after it was attacked and partially submerged during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941

This is an original Second World War Official U. S. Navy photograph of the USS Shaw after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.The gelatin silver print measures 10 x 8.125 inches (25.4 x 20.6 cm). Condition is very good plus, the paper complete and the image clean, with no appreciable fading, toning, or scuffing. Trivial wear appears confined to the edges and within the white border margins. The verso features a four-line ink stamp reading "OFFICIAL U. S. NAVY PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". Above and to the right of the ink stamp, written in pencil, is "USS Shaw | Pearl Harbor | Dec 7 1941". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941 ranks among the pivotal moments of the twentieth century, as it propelled the United States to formally enter the Second World War, dramatically escalating the conflict, resulting in the defeat of Germany and Japan, and precipitating America’s development and use of the atomic bomb.This image captures the still-smoking ruin of the Mahan-class destroyer USS Shaw, commissioned in 1936. Shaw was raised out of the water in a floating dry dock in Pearl Harbor, Oahu, on 7 December 1941. There she attracted the attention of several Japanese bombers during the second strike wave. "These hit her with three bombs at about the same time as they were attacking the then-nearby battleshipNevada. These bombs all hit the forward portion of the ship. The resulting fires proved uncontrollable, andShawwas ordered abandoned. As efforts were underway to flood the drydock about a half-hour after she was hit, her forward ammunition magazines detonated in a spectacular blast, completely removing her bow leavingShaw's after portion afloat, with an intense fire raging at its front.Though USSShawwas originally thought to be a total loss it was soon realized that damage in her machinery spaces and further aft was minor. In mid-December, she was hauled out of the water on Pearl Harbor's marine railway and measured for a temporary bow, which was attached in late January 1942 Following sea trials, which showed that this rather short destroyer could still be driven at 25 knots,Shawleft Pearl Harbor on 9 February 1942 to steam to the west coast. There, the Mare Island Navy Yard constructed and installed a new bow section, bringing her back up to the same appearance and combat effectiveness as the other ships of her class." (Naval History and Heritage) Shaw served in the Pacific for the duration of the war, earning 11 battle stars.
  • $150
book (2)

An original Second World War U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph of the atomic bomb detonation over the Japanese city of Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, which precipitated the unconditional surrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War

Image captured by Lieutenant Charles Levy This is an original Second World War U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph of the atomic bomb detonation over the Japanese city of Nagasaki on 9 August 1945, which precipitated the unconditional surrender of Japan and the end of the Second World War.The gelatin silver print measures 10 x 8.125 inches (25.4 x 20.6 cm). Condition is very good plus, the paper complete and the image clean, with only light wear confined to the white border and light scuffing visible only under raking light. The verso features a four-line ink stamp reading "U. S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE. | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". Written above and to the right of the ink stamp are two lines: "Nagasaki Atomic Bomb | Aug. 9 1945". Blue ink notation in the lower white center margin reads "Nagasaki A-Bomb". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.On 6 August 1945, President Truman announced that British and American scientists had produced the atomic bomb and that one had been dropped that day on Hiroshima. On 9 August 1945 a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, compelling the Japanese Empire to accept the inevitability of defeat and the necessity of unconditional surrender. This image of the mushroom cloud caused by the Nagasaki detonation was captured by 26-year-old U.S. Army Lieutenant Charles Levy.
  • $120
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An original Second World War U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, U.S. President Harry S. Truman, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin at the Potsdam Conference on 17 July 1945, days before the British General Election result removed Churchill from the office of Prime Minister

This original Second World War U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph captures Churchill, Stalin, and Truman at the Potsdam conference, just days before Churchill was replaced as wartime Prime Minister. The gelatin silver print on matte photo paper measures 10 x 8.25 inches (25.4 x 21 cm). Condition is very good plus. The paper shows no creases and the image is crisp and clean with only a hint of wear to the corners and trivial scratches visible only under raking light. The image's lower left features the circular emblem of "SIGNAL CORPS U.S. Army" embedded in the negative, as well as an image identification number ("209233-S") on the lower right. Blue ink notation in the white upper margin identifies Stalin, Truman, and Churchill, as well as "Pavlov" (Stalin’s interpreter Vladimir Nikolayevich Pavlov) and "Leahy" (U.S. Fleet Admiral William Daniel Leahy). The verso features a four-line ink stamp reading "U. S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". The photograph is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.Following Germany’s unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945, the three allied leaders, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the new U.S. President Harry Truman, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, agreed to a summer meeting to negotiate postwar reconstruction in Europe. The conference was held in Potsdam, in occupied Germany, from 17 July to 2 August 1945. This image captures all three leaders, Truman in the center facing the camera flanked by Stalin and Churchill, who face one another. Before the conference’s end Truman officially told Stalin about the existence of the Atomic Bomb. Stalin, who had spies inside the Manhattan Project and was fully informed, feigned surprise. The conference concluded with the issuing of the Potsdam Declaration which demanded that Japan surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction". The conference - the last of the "Big Three" meetings during the Second World War - coincided with the British General Election of 1945. 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 held during the conference. On 26 July 1945, only days after this photo was taken, Churchill was replaced as Prime Minister by Clement Attlee, who represented Britain for the rest of the conference.In view of the coming election, on 15 June Churchill had formally invited Attlee to the Conference: "His Majesty’s Government must, of course, bear the responsibility for all decisions. But my idea was that you should come as a friend and counsellor, and help us on the subjects on which we have been so long agreed " This invitation turned out to be not only gracious, but practical. Churchill was gracious once again in his 26 July statement from 10 Downing Street: "It only remains for me to express to the British people, for whom I have acted in these perilous years, my profound gratitude for the unflinching, unswerving support which they have given me during my task, and of the many expressions of kindness which they have shown towards their servant." Churchill would be relegated to Leader of the Opposition for more than six years until the October 1951 General Election, when Churchill’s Conservatives outpaced Labour, returning Churchill to 10 Downing Street for his second and final premiership. By the time Churchill returned to 10 Downing Street, the always uneasy and fraught relations with Stalin had devolved to the open contest of the Cold War. Stalin would die as Soviet Premier on 5 March 1953. Truman’s Presidency, bookended by Churchill’s two premierships, ended on 20 January 1953.
  • $400
book (2)

An original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill introducing Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King just before King addressed the Houses of Parliament in the Royal Gallery on 11 May 1944

This is an original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill introducing Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King just before King addressed the Houses of Parliament in the Royal Gallery on 11 May 1944.This is an excellent Second World War press photograph, featuring Winston S. Churchill standing at a podium, addressing the Houses of Parliament, and introducing the Canadian Prime Minister. The photograph is dated 11 May 1944, an urgent and pivotal time for the allies, who were finalizing preparations for the D-Day landings that would take place less than a month later on 6 June 1944. The gelatin silver image printed on glossy photo paper measures 8.25 x 6 inches (20.95 x 15.24 cm). Condition is very good. There is slight creasing on the upper left and bottom right corner, as well as mild cockling at the upper center. An ink stamp on the verso confirms that the photo was "Supplied By Photographic News Agencies Ltd." Their printed caption, affixed to the verso, is titled "Mr. MACKENZIE KING ADDRESSES HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT." The caption reads: "Mr. Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada | addressed the Houses of Parliament to-day (Thurs) | in the Royal Gallery. | Photo shows: A general view showing Mr. CHURCHILL | making his introductory speech to Mr. Mackenzie | King. | 11.5.44. | SUPPLIED L.N.A. P.N.A." The second ink stamp on the verso confirms that this image was "RECEIVED" on "12 May 1944" by the "Art Department" of the "The Daily Telegraph".William Lyon Mackenzie King (1874-1950), Prime Minister of Canada (1935-1948) arrived in London on 1 May for several weeks of conferences. Fellow dominion leaders were also present from 1-16 May: Jan Smuts (South Africa), Peter Fraser (New Zealand), John Curtin (Australia), and Sir Godfrey Huggins (Southern Rhodesia). The prevailing topic of their secret meetings was the imminent ‘Overlord’ operation which would manifest in the 6 June 1944 D-Day landings at Normandy, the largest amphibious invasion in history.Churchill’s grim countenance in this image suits the pressure of that month. In addition to the imminent Normandy invasion, Churchill was awaiting news of the imminent offensive in Italy. A few minutes after eleven o'clock on the same day Churchill was captured in this image introducing King to Parliament, Churchill received the coded message from General Alexander that 'Operation Diadem' had begun: ‘ "Zip, repeat "Zip". This press photo once belonged tothe working archive of The Daily Telegraph. During the first half of the twentieth century, photojournalism grew as a practice, fundamentally changing the way the public interacted with current events.Newspapers assembled expansive archives, including physical copies of all photographs published or deemed useful for potential future use, their versos typically marked with ink stamps and notes providing provenance and captions. Today these photographs exist as repositories of historical memory, technological artifacts, and often striking pieces of vernacular art.
  • $140
book (2)

An original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill receiving presentation of Canada’s Victory Torch on 1 July 1941

This original Second World War press photograph shows British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill on 7 January 1941 accepting presentation of Canada’s "Victory Torch" at 10 Downing Street. Churchill’s countenance in profile in this image is noteworthy for being particularly crisp, with him looking down, smoke curling up from the end of the lit cigar clenched between his teeth, as the Canadian dignitary looks on.The gelatin silver print is on glossy photo paper measuring 10 x 8 in (25.4 x 20.32 cm). The condition is very good with a clean, crisp appearance, light wear confined to the white margins. The verso features an oval ink stamp attributing the copyright to "N. P. A. ROTA" and indicates that the image was "SUPPLIED BY GRAPHIC PHOTO UNION". A second ink stamp confirms that the image was "RECEIVED" by The Daily Telegraph Art Department on "1 July 1941". An original typed caption tipped onto the verso is titled "PRESENTATION OF CANADA’S "VICTORY TORCH" TO THE PRIME MINISTER AT NO 10 DOWNING STREET." The caption text reads: "Canada’s ‘Torch of Victory’ which arrived in England on Saturday last was brought by air [xx] to this country by Mr Ian Mackenzie, Canadian Minister of Pensions. The torch which passed through the Dominions chief cities to arouse interest in the Canadian War Loan was this afternoon presented by Mr Mackenzie to the Prime Minister. P.S. [Ian Mackenzie crossed out] Mr Winston Churchill reading the roll of the names of Mayors which was sent over in the torch. I/7/41." In two places the typed caption is hand-emended. This press photo once belonged tothe working archive of The Daily Telegraph. During the first half of the twentieth century, photojournalism grew as a practice, fundamentally changing the way the public interacted with current events.Newspapers assembled expansive archives, including physical copies of all photographs published or deemed useful for potential future use, their versos typically marked with ink stamps and notes providing provenance and captions. Photo departments would often take brush, paint, pencil, and marker to the surface of photographs themselves to edit them before publication. Today these photographs exist as repositories of historical memory, technological artifacts, and often striking pieces of vernacular art.
  • $100
book (2)

An original Second World War Official U.S. Navy photograph of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill with a retinue of their senior staff in the garden of Roosevelt’s residence at the end of the Casablanca conference on 24 January 1943

This original Second World War U.S. Navy photograph captures U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill, and a retinue of their senior staff in the garden of Roosevelt’s residence at the end of the Casablanca conference on 24 January 1943. Standing left to right behind Roosevelt and Churchill are Harry Hopkins, Lieutenant General Henry H. "Hap" Arnold, Admiral Ernest King, General George C. Marshall, Admiral Dudley Pound, RAF Marshal Charles Portal, Field Marshal Alan Francis Brooke, Field Marshal John Dill, Admiral Louis Mountbatten, and General Brehon B. Somervell. Others are unidentified.The gelatin silver print measures 10.25 x 8 inches (26 x 20.3 cm). Condition is very good, the paper complete and the image clean, with no appreciable fading, toning, or scuffing. Trivial wear appears confined to the edges and within the white border margins. The upper white border margins feature blue ink notation identifying eight of the individuals in the image. The verso features a four-line ink stamp reading "OFFICIAL U. S. NAVY PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". Above and to the right of the ink stamp in three lines in pencil is written "Casablanca Conference | Jan. 14 – Feb. 26 1943 | Surrender Terms". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.From 14-24 January 1943, two months after the Anglo-American landings in French North Africa, Roosevelt and Churchill met in Casablanca, Morocco, to plan Allied military strategy. Stalin was invited but declined to attend allegedly due to the ongoing Battle of Stalingrad. The Conference determined that invasion of Sicily would follow North Africa, addressed force deployments and lines of attack in the Far East, and agreed on concentrated bombing of Germany. Perhaps most important, Roosevelt and Churchill resolved to demand "unconditional surrender" from Germany, Italy, and Japan as the necessary precursor to postwar peace – a policy that aroused criticism and controversy both during and after the war.This photo captures the two Allied leaders and their retinue in the garden behind the villa where President Roosevelt stayed, called "Dar Es Saada" which Churchill translated as "Abode of Divine Favor". (FDR Presidential Library) There Roosevelt and Churchill held a press conference at approximately 12:30 PM for fifty Allied newspapermen. Roosevelt read out a prepared statement in which he outlined the events of the Conference and "The determination that peace can come to the world only by the total elimination of German and Japanese war power" and "the destruction of the philosophies in those countries which are based on conquest and the subjugation of other people." (Gilbert, VII, p.309) Churchill appealed directly to the agents of the press in their presentation of the Conference to their readers: "Give them the picture of unity, thoroughness and integrity of the political chiefs." (ibid.) Of this meeting with the press Churchill told Roosevelt, "We charmed them all right." (Roberts, Walking with Destiny, p.768)
  • $350
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PRIME MINISTER REVIEWS LONDON’S CIVIL DEFENCE SERVICES” – An original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill addressing a gathering of London’s Civil Defence workers during a Civil Defence demonstration on 14 July 1941

This is an original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill addressing a parade of civil defence workers at a civil defence demonstration in London on 14 July 1941. The gelatin silver print on glossy photo paper measures 9.5 x 7.5 in (24.13 x 19.05 cm). Condition is very good plus, with no appreciable wear or soiling. The verso features two ink-stamps, the first indicating that the copyright was held by "Planet News Ltd." of London, the second showing that the photograph was "Received" on "14 JUL 1941". A n original, typed caption affixed to the verso is titled "PRIME MINISTER REVIEWS LONDON’S CIVIL DEFENCE SERVICES." The caption reads: "Mr. Winston Churchill reviewed Britain’s | biggest Civil Defences demonstration in | Hyde Park, when 6,000 A.R.P. workers took | part in the display, which included a | mammoth water carnival of all types of | fire-fighting appliances, and all kinds of | Civil Defence vehicles were on show. | PHOTO SHOWS: Mr. Churchill addresses the parade of Civil Defence workers. | AND. 14th July, 1941 PN-L." Air Raid Precautions from the Civil Defence Service were an important part of the civilian volunteer organization which included the ARP Wardens Service as well as firemen, fire watchers, rescue, first aid post, and stretcher parties. During the Second World War, more than 1.9 million people served in the organization and nearly 2,400 lost their lives. This same day, at a luncheon by the London County Council at the County Hall after the review of the Civil Defence Services in Hyde Park, Churchill delivered his "Do your worst – and we will do our best" speech of 14 July 1941.On 14 July 1941, Churchill was just a little more than a year into his wartime premiership, the United States was still a long five months from entering the war, and Britain’s position was still precarious. Churchill’s first year in office saw, among other near-calamities, the Battle of the Atlantic, the fall of France, the evacuation at Dunkirk, and the Battle of Britain, with both sustained aerial attacks on civilian populations of London and other cities and the real prospect of Nazi invasion of England. Churchill’s speech of 14 July followed a review in Hyde Park of the "many grades and classes – the wardens, the rescue and first-aid parties, the casualty services, the decontamination squads, the fire services, the report and control centre staffs, the highways and public utility services, the messengers, the police" – of the Civil Defence Services. Churchill acknowledged that the Civil Defence Services "have grown up in the stress of emergency" and "been shaped and tempered by the fire of the enemy". In his speech, Churchill used this review as a tangible symbol of the preparedness, endurance, and resolve of Britain generally and London particularly. Churchill encapsulated the speech in the line delivered as a direct challenge to Hitler: "You do your worst – and we will do our best." Far from a passive call for resistance, this line was immediately followed by "Perhaps it may be our turn soon; perhaps it may be our turn now."This press photo once belonged toa newspaper’s working archive. During the first half of the twentieth century, photojournalism grew as a practice, fundamentally changing the way the public interacted with current events.Newspapers assembled expansive archives, including physical copies of all photographs published or deemed useful for potential future use, their versos typically marked with ink stamps and notes providing provenance and captions. Today these photographs exist as repositories of historical memory, technological artifacts, and often striking pieces of vernacular art.
  • $140
book (2)

A Second World War Official U.S. Navy photograph showing Allied landings in Normandy, France on D-Day, 6 June 1944

This is an original Second World War Official U.S. Navy photograph of Allied landings on the beaches at Normandy in France on 6 June 1944. This image, with an armada of ships filing the view to the horizon and an incredible tide of soldiers and vehicles moving steadily onto and up the beach, conveys a staggering sense of the unprecedented marshalling of personnel and material. Everything in the image conveys a sense of the sheer scale of the endeavor, from the skies full of barrage balloons to the individual soldiers, dotted among the ships and vehicles. The gelatin silver print measures 10.25 x 8 inches (26 x 20.3 cm). Condition is very good plus, the paper complete and the image clean, with no appreciable fading, toning, or scuffing, and only minor wear confined to the blank white margins. We cannot definitively decipher six characters inked in blue in the center of the blank bottom white margin. The verso features a four-line ink stamp at the lower left reading "OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". Two lines are written in pencil on the verso above and to the right of the ink stamp: "'D' Day in Normandy | June 6, 1944". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.Operation Overlord commenced on 6 June 1944, when the United States, Britain, and their WWII allies, under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, launched the largest amphibious invasion in history. Allied landings on the beaches at Normandy, France, which came to be known as D-Day, began the campaign that ended with Germany’s unconditional surrender. The Allies celebrated their final victory over Germany less than one year later on V-E Day, 8 May 1945.
  • $200
POLISH NAVY MAKES PRESENTATION TO MR. CHURCHILL" - An original Second World War British War Office photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill meeting with representatives of the Polish Navy at 10 Downing Street on 2 November 1943

POLISH NAVY MAKES PRESENTATION TO MR. CHURCHILL” – An original Second World War British War Office photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill meeting with representatives of the Polish Navy at 10 Downing Street on 2 November 1943

This is an original Second World War British War Office photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill meeting with representatives of the Polish Navy at 10 Downing Street on 2 November 1943. Pictured, right to left, are Prime Minister Churchill, Vice Admiral Swirsky, Chief of the Polish Navy, Captain Stoklasa, Polish Naval Attache, and Commander Kodrebski, Chief of Staff of the Polish Navy.The gelatin silver print on heavy glossy photo paper measures 8 x 6 in (20.32 x15.24 cm). Condition is very good, the image clean and crisp, the paper showing only light wear, primarily confined to the corners. The verso of the photograph is quite informative. An ink stamp at the lower right clearly states that this is a "BRITISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH" that was "ISSUED BY PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS AGENCIES LTD." to the left of the ink stamp is notation in pencil explaining how the image was stored in the archives: "file under the Poles not the PM". The balance of the verso is taken up by the original, quite extensive, original typed caption. This caption begins with an embargo date "FOR FIRST PUBLICATION DAILY PAPERS, WEDNESDAY, 3.11.43." The caption slip identifies this image as "BRITISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH NO. BH. 21738 (XP) (War Office Photograph. – Crown Copyright Reserved). The caption is titled "POLISH NAVY MAKES PRESENTATION TO MR. CHURCHILL." The caption text reads: "To commemorate the fourth anniversary of the co-operation of the Royal Navy and the Polish Navy, a presentation was made to Mr. Churchill by representatives of the Polish Navy. The presentation took the form of a silver plaque showing three Polish destroyers steaming to meet H.M.S. Wallace off May Island on September 1st, 1939, and was made by Vice Admiral SWIRSKI, Chief of the Polish Navy. The Presentation took place at 10 Downing Street on November 2nd, 1943. A similar ceremony took place at the Admiralty, when a replica of the plaque was presented to Mr. A.V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty. Picture shows – Right to left, the Prime Minister, Vice Admiral SWIRSKI (Chief of the Polish Navy), Capt. STOKLASA (Polish Navy Attache) and Commander KODREBSKI (Chief of Staff, Polish Navy). (Picture issued November, 1943)". The embargo date is restated at the end of the caption: "FOR FIRST PUBLICATION DAILY PAPERS, WEDNESDAY, 3.11.43." This press photo once belonged toa newspaper’s working archive. During the first half of the twentieth century, photojournalism grew as a practice, fundamentally changing the way the public interacted with current events.Newspapers assembled expansive archives, including physical copies of all photographs published or deemed useful for potential future use, their versos typically marked with ink stamps and notes providing provenance and captions. Photo departments would often take brush, paint, pencil, and marker to the surface of photographs themselves to edit them before publication. Today these photographs exist as repositories of historical memory, technological artifacts, and often striking pieces of vernacular art.
  • $120
An original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill striding from 10 Downing Street to the House of Commons on 8 February 1944

An original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill striding from 10 Downing Street to the House of Commons on 8 February 1944

This original Second World War press photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill captures him striding from 10 Downing Street to the House of Commons on 8 February 1944. The full-length image captures Churchill mid-stride, from his left side, his head turned to the left to regard the camera, his countenance unsmiling, a cigar clenched in his mouth, his cane and glove visible in his left hand. This is a compelling wartime image, with Churchill regarding the camera with the grimly capable resolve that would carry both him and Britain through the long war.The gelatin silver print on heavy glossy photo paper measures 6 x 8 in (15.24 x 20.32 cm). Condition is very good, the image clear. Minor scuffs and blemishes are visible only under raking light. Modest wear is primarily confined to the white border margins, with two tiny closed tears and attendant wrinkling to the bottom white border margin. The verso of the photograph tells some of its long history. "P1" and a rectangular inked frame indicates that a cropped version of this image was published contemporary to being taken and received by the publishing newspaper. This is corroborated by a "RECEIVED" ink stamp dated "8 – FEB 1944" and an additional "8 FEB 1944" ink stamp. A red ink stamp indicates that the image was provided by "KEYSTONE PRESS AGENCY LTD." The original typed Keystone caption remains, tipped onto the verso center. The caption is titled "MR CHURCHILL LEAVES FOR THE HOUSE OF COMMONS 8-2-44. The caption reads "KEYSTONE PHOTO SHOWS: Mr. Churchill Photographed at Downing Street, leaving for the House today. JW/F. Keystone 476959." This press photo once belonged toa newspaper’s working archive. During the first half of the twentieth century, photojournalism grew as a practice, fundamentally changing the way the public interacted with current events.Newspapers assembled expansive archives, including physical copies of all photographs published or deemed useful for potential future use, their versos typically marked with ink stamps and notes providing provenance and captions. Photo departments would often take brush, paint, pencil, and marker to the surface of photographs themselves to edit them before publication. Today these photographs exist as repositories of historical memory, technological artifacts, and often striking pieces of vernacular art.
  • $250
book (2)

FIELD MARSHAL SMUTS ADDRESSES MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES” – An Original Second World War Press Photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill introducing Field Marshal and South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts to the British Parliament on 21 October 1942

This is an original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston Churchill introducing Field Marshal and South African Prime Minister Jan Smuts to the British Parliament on 21 October 1942.The gelatin silver print is on heavy glossy photo paper and measures 10 x 8 in (25.4 x 20.32 cm). Condition is very good with a clean, crisp appearance. There is modest wear, substantially confined to the white border margins, with the exception of a small tear and loss at the lower left corner, not appreciably affecting the image. The verso features the ink stamp of "Keystone Press Agency Ltd." The original Keystone caption remains tipped onto the verso. It is titled: "FIELD MARSHAL SMUTS ADDRESSES | MEMBERS OF BOTH HOUSES 21.10.42." The caption text reads: "Field Marshal Smuts today addressed | members of both Houses of Parliament. | Mr. Lloyd George presided at the meeting, | and Mr. Churchill made a brief speech. | KEYSTONE PHOTO SHOWS. Mr. Churchill | speaking today." By 1942, Churchill and Smuts had known one another for more than four decades. Their acquaintance began inauspiciously. In 1899 Winston Churchill, age 24, was captured during the Boer War. Churchill’s Afrikaner interrogator was Jan Smuts, age 29. Smuts opposed Churchill’s release. Churchill famously escaped. They met again in 1906, when Churchill was at the Colonial Office, and Smuts had become a Commando general. Their agreement to "a fresh start between Briton and Boer" led to formation of a self-governing Union of South Africa. (Roberts, WWD, p.105) Smuts served as its second prime minister from 1919-1924. Both men attended War Cabinets in the First World War. Smuts was an early member of Churchill's Other Club where, in 1933, in the midst of Churchill’s "wilderness years" (and his own), Smuts said that Churchill should have been Prime Minister and "Let me say this – if my old friend is careful, he will get there yet." (Ibid. p.570) Smuts got there first. The September 1939 parliamentary vote that brought South Africa into the Second World War on the Allied side also resulted in the return of Smuts to the premiership (1939-1948). Churchill became British prime minister in May 1940. By 1941 Smuts had joined the British War Cabinet, been appointed a Field Marshal in the British Army and become a critical advisor to Churchill. In July 1942, British troops defeated Rommel’s forces in the First Battle of El Alamein, but Allied momentum then stalled. Churchill flew to Cairo on 1 August to assess command. Smuts accompanied Churchill and was instrumental in encouraging Churchill’s difficult decision to replace Middle East Commander-in-Chief Auchinleck with Alexander. Churchill wrote to his wife of Smuts "He fortified me where I am inclined to be tender-hearted " (Ibid. p.748) When Smuts died in 1950, Churchill told the Other Club that he had admired Smuts unreservedly, accepting advice from him that he would not have taken from anybody else besides his wife. (Ibid. p.918)This press photo once belonged toa newspaper’s working archive. During the first half of the twentieth century, photojournalism grew as a practice, fundamentally changing the way the public interacted with current events.Newspapers assembled expansive archives, including physical copies of all photographs published or deemed useful for potential future use, their versos typically marked with ink stamps and notes providing provenance and captions. Photo departments would often take brush, paint, pencil, and marker to the surface of photographs themselves to edit them before publication. Today these photographs exist as repositories of historical memory, technological artifacts, and often striking pieces of vernacular art.
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CHURCHILL – NOT THE SITUATION – IS GRAVE” An original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill in Quebec delivering a broadcast address to the Canadian People on 31 August 1943, just after the ‘Quadrant’ conference with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King

This is an original Second World War press photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill on 31 August 1943 delivering a broadcast address to the Canadian people from Quebec just after the 'Quadrant' conference with U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King.The gelatin silver print on glossy photo paper measures 8 x 6.125 inches (20.3 x 15.6 cm). Condition is very good, the image bright and complete, despite incidental scuffs and blemishes. The verso of the photograph features the original typed caption. The photograph is numbered "696626" credited to the "NEW YORK BUREAU" and titled "CHURCHILL – NOT THE SITUATION – IS GRAVE". The caption reads "QUEBEC – Prime Minister Winston Churchill strikes a serious pose just before broadcasting to the World in his first address after the Allied war conference in Quebec. Mr. Churchill, shown here in a National Film Board Photo, disclosed that the conference devoted itself primarily to the war with Japan." Below this caption are two lines reading "BUR MGS LON" and CREDIT LINE (ACME) 9/2/43". The date "SEP 1943" is ink-stamped twice on the caption. Churchill’s First Quebec conference with Roosevelt in August 1943 was code-named "Quadrant". Churchill was accompanied by his wife, daughter Mary, and a "formidable team" of two hundred, most of whom set sail aboard the Queen Mary in the afternoon of 5 August. En route, Churchill and his Chiefs of Staff discussed every aspect of the war, including the twice-postponed and much awaited cross-Channel invasion, "Overlord". "It was Churchill’s first opportunity to learn from his advisers the full details of the ‘Overlord’ plan " (Gilbert, VII, p.462) While in Quebec, Churchill and Roosevelt both lived at the Citadel, the summer residence of the Governor-General, the upstairs floor of which was prepared for Roosevelt "with ramps fitted wherever necessary for his wheelchair." (Gilbert, Vol. VII, p.468)Following their short, initial stay in Quebec, Churchill was invited to Hyde Park, President Roosevelt’s home on the Hudson River. Churchill’s and Roosevelt’s discussions at both Hyde Park (12-14 August) and in Quebec (17-24 August), included the recent overthrow of Mussolini and battle to subjugate Italy, command of the forthcoming cross-Channel invasion (Churchill conceded to FDR’s choice of Eisenhower, passing over Brooke, to whom command had already been promised), command in South-East Asia, sharing of information on development of the atomic bomb, and relations with Stalin. "On August 26, Churchill left Quebec for the Laurentian mountains, to a mountain retreat on the Montmorency river, La Cabane de Montmorency, and a fishing camp on the Lac des Neiges, four thousand feet above sea level." It was "In the solitude at La Cabane" that "Churchill worked on the broadcast he had agreed to give to the Canadian people. "On the morning of August 31 Churchill returned to Quebec, where, from the Citadel, he made his broadcast to the Canadian People. ‘Here at the gateway of Canada,’ he proclaimed, ‘in mighty lands which have never known the totalitarian tyrannies of Hitler and Mussolini, the spirit of freedom has found safe and abiding home.’ That night, Churchill left by train for Washington." (Gilbert, VII, pp. 484-7)This press photo once belonged toa newspaper’s working archive. During the first half of the twentieth century, photojournalism grew as a practice, fundamentally changing the way the public interacted with current events.Newspapers assembled expansive archives, including physical copies of all photographs published or deemed useful for potential future use, their versos typically marked with ink stamps and notes providing provenance and captions. Today these photographs exist as repositories of historical memory, technological artifacts, and often striking pieces of vernacular art.
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An original Second World War U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph of Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and U.S. President Harry S. Truman, accompanied by an entourage including Soviet Ambassador to the United States Andrei Gromyko, U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes, and Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov, during Truman’s visit at Premier Stalin’s residence during the Potsdam Conference on 18 July 1945

This original Second World War U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph captures Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin and U.S. President Harry S. Truman, accompanied by an entourage including Soviet Ambassador to the United States Andrei Gromyko, U.S. Secretary of State James Byrnes, and Soviet Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov, during Truman's visit at Premier Stalin's residence during the Potsdam Conference on 18 July 1945. The gelatin silver print on matte photo paper measures 10 x 8.25 inches (25.4 x 21 cm). Condition is very good. The image is crisp and clean with only a hint of wear to the corners and minor scratches visible only under raking light. The image's lower right features the circular emblem of "SIGNAL CORPS U.S. Army" embedded in the negative, as well as an image identification number ("209368"). The verso features a four-line ink stamp reading "U. S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.Following Germany’s unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945, the three allied leaders, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the new U.S. President Harry Truman, and Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin, agreed to a summer meeting to negotiate postwar reconstruction in Europe. The conference was held in Potsdam, in occupied Germany, from 17 July to 2 August 1945. We believe this image to have been captured during Truman’s 18 July 1945 visit to Stalin’s residence during the opening days of the conference. The location is in front of Stalin's residence.The tensions that beset the conference were both myriad and not severable. Certainly not least among the many was the atomic bomb. Before the conference’s end Truman officially told Stalin about the existence of the Atomic Bomb. Stalin, who had spies inside the Manhattan Project and was fully informed, feigned surprise. Of related significance was the matter of whether "unconditional surrender" would be demanded of Japan. The conference concluded with the issuing of the Potsdam Declaration which demanded that Japan surrender or face "prompt and utter destruction". The conference was further complicated by the timing of British politics. The conference - the last of the "Big Three" meetings during the Second World War - coincided with the British General Election of 1945. 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 held during the conference. On 26 July 1945, only days after this photo was taken, Churchill was replaced as Prime Minister by Clement Attlee, who represented Britain for the rest of the conference.Churchill would be relegated to Leader of the Opposition for more than six years until the October 1951 General Election, when Churchill’s Conservatives outpaced Labour, returning Churchill to 10 Downing Street for his second and final premiership. By the time Churchill returned to 10 Downing Street, the always uneasy and fraught relations with Stalin had devolved to the open contest of the Cold War. Stalin would die as Soviet Premier on 5 March 1953. Truman’s Presidency, bookended by Churchill’s two premierships, ended on 20 January 1953.
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An original Second World War Official U.S. Navy photograph of President Harry S. Truman at the White House on 6 September 1945 being presented with the signed Japanese Instrument of Surrender, accompanied in the image by Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army George C. Marshall, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, and Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal

This is an original Second World War Official U. S. Navy photograph of President Harry S. Truman at the White House on 6 September 1945 being presented with the signed Japanese Instrument of Surrender, accompanied in the image by Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army George C. Marshall, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, and Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal.The gelatin silver print measures 10.25 x 8 inches (26 x 20.3 cm). Condition is very good plus, the paper complete and the image clean, with no appreciable fading, toning, or scuffing. The verso features a four-line ink stamp reading "OFFICIAL U. S. NAVY PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". Above and to the right of the ink stamp, written in pencil, is "Forrestal, Stimson Marshall & Truman". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.After the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 12 April 1945, it fell to his Vice President, Harry S. Truman, to lead the United States through the end of the Second World War, including the decision to detonate atomic bombs over the Japanese Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, compelling the Japanese Empire to accept the inevitability of defeat and the necessity of unconditional surrender.On 2 September 1945, the Instrument of Surrender was signed by the Japanese aboard the USS Missouri – the last battleship ever built by the United States – in Tokyo Bay. Prepared by the War Department and approved by President Harry S. Truman, the Instrument of Surrender set out in eight short paragraphs the complete capitulation of Japan. The opening words, "We acting by command of and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government, and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, hereby accept " signified the importance attached to the Emperor’s role and the necessity of acceptance by both civil and military authority by the Americans who drafted the document. The second short paragraph made the unequivocal nature of the capitulation clear: "We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control wherever situated." Japanese envoys Foreign Minster Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu signed their names. The time was recorded as 4 minutes past 9 o’clock. Thereafter, General Douglas MacArthur, Commander in the Southwest Pacific and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, also signed. He accepted the Japanese Surrender "for the United States, Republic of China, United Kingdom, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and in the interests of the other United Nations at war with Japan."On 6 September, Army Colonel Bernard Thielen brought the surrender document and a second imperial rescript back to Washington, D.C. The following day, Thielen presented the documents to President Truman in a formal White House ceremony. In this image, Truman looks down on the Instrument. Accompanying President Truman, visible, left to right, are Secretary of the Navy James V. Forrestal, Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson, and Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army George C. Marshall. The documents were then exhibited at the National Archives before being formally received into the National Archives holdings.
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A Second World War U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph featuring Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Madame Chiang Kai-shek at the Cairo Conference on 25 November 1943

This is an original Second World War U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Madame Chiang Kai-shek at the Cairo Conference on 25 November 1943.The gelatin silver print measures 10 x 8.25 inches (25.4 x 21 cm). Condition is very good plus, the paper complete and the image clean, with no appreciable fading, toning, or scuffing, and only minor wear confined to the blank white margins. The image's lower left features the circular emblem of "SIGNAL CORPS U.S. Army" embedded in the negative. The verso features a four-line ink stamp at the lower left reading "U. S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". Pencil notation in two lines reads "Cairo, Egypt. | Nov. 25th '43". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.The First Cairo Conference – codenamed "Sextant" – convened the leaders of The United States, Great Britain, and China to coordinate Allied counteroffensive strategy against the Empire of Japan. Chiang Kai-Shek (1887-1975) led mainland China from 1928 to 1949, until his overthrow by Mao's communist revolution and his retreat to Taiwan, where he led the vestigial Republic of China government until his death. During and after the Second World War, Chiang and his American-educated wife, Soong Mei-ling (1898-2003), known in the United States as "Madame Chiang", held the support of the American interests who held out hope for a Christian and democratic China. In 1943, the year this image was captured. Soong Mei-ling conducted an eight-month speaking tour of the United States to build support for Nationalist China, including an address to the U.S. Congress.
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An original Second World War Official U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph of Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu signing the Instrument of Surrender on 2 September 1945 on board the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, with MacArthur’s Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General Richard K Sutherland, looking on and a host of senior American commanders in the background

This is an original Second World War U.S. Army Signal Corps photograph of Japanese Foreign Minister Shigemitsu signing the Instrument of Surrender on board USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay a few minutes after 9:00 AM on 2 September 1945. Assisting Shigemitsu is Japanese Foreign Ministry representative Toshikazu Kase. From across the table, Lieutenant General Richard K. Sutherland, who served as Chief of staff to General Douglas MacArthur in the South West Pacific Area during the war, looks on.The gelatin silver print measures 10.25 x 8 inches (26 x 20.3 cm). Condition is very good, the paper complete and the image clean, with only minor scratches visible under raking light, and light wear confined to the white border. The verso features a four-line ink stamp reading "U. S. ARMY SIGNAL CORPS PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE. | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". Blue ink notation in the lower left white margin reads "Kenny Halsey" indicating U.S. Army General George C. Kenney, commander of Allied Air Forces in the South West Pacific Area (visible immediately to the left of Sutherland) and Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey, one of only four officers to attain the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the U.S. Navy. The Missouri was the flagship of Halsey’s Third Fleet. These two are among the rows of officers visible in the background, present to witness the formal surrender of Japan. The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.After the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 12 April 1945, it fell to his Vice President, Harry S. Truman, to lead the United States through the end of the Second World War, including the decision to detonate atomic bombs over the Japanese Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, compelling the Japanese Empire to accept the inevitability of defeat and the necessity of unconditional surrender.On 2 September 1945, Instrument of Surrender was signed by Japanese aboard the USS Missouri – the last battleship ever built by the United States – in Tokyo Bay. Prepared by the War Department and approved by President Harry S. Truman, the Instrument of Surrender set out in eight short paragraphs the complete capitulation of Japan. The opening words, "We acting by command of and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government, and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, hereby accept " signified the importance attached to the Emperor’s role and the necessity of acceptance by both civil and military authority by the Americans who drafted the document. The second short paragraph made the unequivocal nature of the capitulation clear: "We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control wherever situated." Japanese envoys Foreign Minster Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu signed their names. The time was recorded as 4 minutes past 9 o’clock. Thereafter, General Douglas MacArthur, Commander in the Southwest Pacific and Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, also signed. He accepted the Japanese Surrender "for the United States, Republic of China, United Kingdom, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and in the interests of the other United Nations at war with Japan."On 6 September, Army Colonel Bernard Thielen brought the surrender document and a second imperial rescript back to Washington, D.C. The following day, Thielen presented the documents to President Truman in a formal White House ceremony. The documents were then exhibited at the National Archives before being formally received into the National Archives holdings.
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An original Second World War photograph of Japanese General Yoshijiro Umezu signing the Instrument of Surrender on board USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay a few minutes after 9:00 AM on 2 September 1945 in the presence of Douglas MacArthur, who, as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, would preside over the demilitarization and democratization of occupied Japan.

This is an original Second World War photograph of Japanese General Yoshijiro Umezu signing the Instrument of Surrender on board USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay a few minutes after 9:00 AM on 2 September 1945 in the presence of Douglas MacArthur, who, as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, would preside over the demilitarization and democratization of occupied Japan.The gelatin silver print measures 10 x 8.125 inches (25.4 x 20.6 cm). Condition is very good plus, the paper complete and the image clean, with only light wear confined to the white border. Although there are no stamps or markings, either in the image or on the verso, this photograph came to us with a group of official U.S. Navy and U.S. Army Signal Corps photographs, several of them capturing moments before and after this image was captured from the same perspective.In this image, General Umezu leans over the table, signing the Instrument of Surrender while Lieutenant General Richard K. Sutherland, Chief of Staff to General Douglas MacArthur, looks on. Further to the left also facing Umezu, while standing before a microphone, is MacArthur. In the background, rows of senior officers witness the signing. Among them, in the first row and just to the right of Sutherland, is Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey, his head turned slightly to the left. The Missouri was the flagship of Halsey’s Third Fleet.Moments before Japanese Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Umezu signed, MacArthur had addressed the assembly thus:"We are gathered here, representatives of the major warring powers to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored. The issues involving divergent ideals and ideologies have been determined on the battlefields of the world and, hence, are not for our discussion or debate. The terms and conditions upon which surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces is here to be given and accepted are contained in the instrument of surrender now before you I now invite the representatives of the emperor of Japan and the Japanese government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters to sign the instrument of surrender at the places indicated."After the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on 12 April 1945, it fell to his Vice President, Harry S. Truman, to lead the United States through the end of the Second World War, including the decision to detonate atomic bombs over the Japanese Cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki on 6 and 9 August 1945, compelling the Japanese Empire to accept the inevitability of defeat and the necessity of unconditional surrender.Prepared by the War Department and approved by President Truman, the Instrument of Surrender set out in eight short paragraphs the complete capitulation of Japan. The opening words, "We acting by command of and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government, and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, hereby accept " signified the importance attached to the Emperor’s role and the necessity of acceptance by both civil and military authority. The second short paragraph made the unequivocal nature of the capitulation clear: "We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control wherever situated." Japanese envoys Foreign Minster Shigemitsu and General Umezu signed their names. The time was recorded as 4 minutes past 9 o’clock. Thereafter, General MacArthur also signed, accepting the Japanese Surrender "for the United States, Republic of China, United Kingdom, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and in the interests of the other United Nations at war with Japan."On 6 September, the surrender document and a second imperial rescript were presented to President Truman in Washington, D.C. The documents were then exhibited at the National Archives before being formally received into the National Archives holdings.
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An original Second World War Official U.S. Navy photograph of the USS Lexington, the first U.S. Navy aircraft carrier lost during the Second World War, being abandoned by her crew during the afternoon of 8 May 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea

This is an original Second World War Official U. S. Navy photograph of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington, being abandoned during the afternoon of 8 May 1942 during the Battle of the Coral Sea. In the image sailors slide down ropes on Lexington’s starboard quarter while a destroyer pulls up alongside Lexington to rescue crewmembers. She was the first U.S. Navy aircraft carrier lost in the Second World War. The gelatin silver print measures 10 x 8.125 inches (25.4 x 20.6 cm). Condition is very good plus, the paper complete and the image clean, with no appreciable fading, toning, or scuffing. Trivial wear appears confined to the edges and within the white border margins. Inked in blue in the lower white margin center is the word "Lexington". The verso features a four-line ink stamp reading "OFFICIAL U. S. NAVY PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". Above and to the right of the ink stamp, written in pencil, is "USS Lexington being abandoned | only one man lost | no one lost". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.USSLexington(CV-2), one of the U.S. Navy's first aircraft carriers, was commissioned in December 1927 at Quincy, Massachusetts. Fatefully, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, Lexington was transporting aircraft to Midway Island and thus spared destruction – to the chagrin of the Japanese and the great fortune of the United States."During the December 11 attempt to relieve Wake Island, which was aborted, she was sent to attack Japanese installations in the Marshall Islands as a diversion. In January and February 1942, her aircraft raided Japanese positions in the southwestern Pacific. Along with USS Yorktown (CV-5) in early May, she participated in the Battle of the Coral Sea. On May 7 and 8, her aircraft took part in the sinking of the Japanese aircraft carrier Shoho, and raided the aircraft carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku. The Japanese responded with aircraft attacks, which hit Lexington with two torpedo and three aerial bombs." (National Museum of the U.S. Navy)After seven minutes under direct attack and six hours of valiant work by her crew to save the ship, Lexington was abandoned. Lexington’s Captain "realized that if he did not order engineers to evacuate, and the last remaining communications link cut out entirely, the men stationed there would remain at their posts until consumed by the flames. At 4 p.m. he ordered them to douse the engines, blow off the steam from the boilers, and evacuate to the flight deck. The excess steam rushed up the funnel with a throaty whoosh, the engines fell silent, the four big propellers came to rest, and the Lexington lay dead in the water the destroyers Anderson, Hammann, and Morris, and the cruisers Minneapolis and New Orleans, drew in close to the dying ship and awaited instructions . Every man aboard knew that the bombs and torpedoes on the hangar deck would reach a detonation point and blow Knotted lines were secured to the net railing along both sides of the ship Men began going down the lines Men stood in order lines behind each rope, and left their shoes in neat rows on the edge of the flight deck. They gave three cheers for the captain By six o’clock, only a handful of men remained on the Lexington The captain and executive officer were the last to go " As the XO descended, "an explosion went up amidships, throwing flames and airplanes high into the air" and causing the captain to duck "under the edge of the flight deck to get cover from falling debris." At 6:30 PM, torpedo warheads and bombs on the hangar deck "went up in a vast, ripping explosion." The Lexington was ordered to be sunk, "both to prevent her falling into enemy hands and to eliminate the danger that she might serve as a signal beacon for enemy planes." The destroyer USS Phelps (DD-218), fired a spread of eight torpedoes from a range of 1500 yards and "At 7:52 p.m. the Lexington went down in a cloud of hissing steam." (Toll, Pacific Crucible)
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A Second World War Official U.S. Navy photograph showing Allied landings in Normandy, France on D-Day, 6 June 1944

This is an original Second World War Official U.S. Navy photograph of Allied landings on the beaches at Normandy in France on 6 June 1944. This image, with an armada of ships filing the view to the horizon, conveys a staggering sense of the unprecedented marshalling of personnel and material. Particularly striking are the silver, oval-shaped balloons floating above many of the ships, stretching into the distance. These balloons, known as barrage balloons, provided critical protection to the ships and soldiers below them from attacks by enemy aircraft. The gelatin silver print measures 10.25 x 8 inches (26 x 20.3 cm). Condition is very good plus, the paper complete and the image clean, with no appreciable fading, toning, or scuffing, and only minor wear confined to the blank white margins. The verso features a four-line ink stamp at the lower left reading "OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.Operation Overlord commenced on 6 June 1944, when the United States, Britain, and their WWII allies, under the command of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, launched the largest amphibious invasion in history. Allied landings on the beaches at Normandy, France, which came to be known as D-Day, began the campaign that ended with Germany’s unconditional surrender. The Allies celebrated their final victory over Germany less than one year later on V-E Day, 8 May 1945.
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MR. CHURCHILL WATCHES FLYING DEMONSTRATION” – An original Second World War British War Office photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill watching a flying demonstration on 19 October 1943 with Air Minister Sir Archibald Sinclair

This is an original Second World War British War Office photograph of Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill watching a flying demonstration on 19 October 1943 with Air Minister Sir Archibald Sinclair. Churchill, seated and holding a lit cigar in his right hand, looks out while listening to his Air Minister, also seated, who leans toward Churchill, gesturing. Standing behind Churchill are various unidentified military and civilian figures.The gelatin silver print on glossy photo paper measures 6 x 8 in (15.24 x 20.32 cm). Condition is very good, the image clean, clear, and unfaded with minimal wear confined to the corners. Minor image imperfections are embedded in the negative, not a result of wear. The verso of the photograph testifies to its origins. A purple ink stamp identifies the image as a "British Official Photograph Crown Copyright Reserved Supplied by BIPPA". A second, oval ink stamp states that this print was "RECEIVED" on "27 OCT 1943" by "The Daily Telegraph ART DEPARTMENT". The original, typed caption remains tipped onto the verso. The caption begins with an embargo notification: "NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE THE EVENING PAPERS, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 19th." The photograph is identified as "BRITISH OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPH NO. BH 21518 (WP) (War Office photograph: Crown Copyright reserved)." The caption is titled "MR CHURCHILL WATCHES FLYING DEMONSTRATION" and reads "Mr. Churchill watched a flying display by different types of aircraft at an aerodrome in Southern England recently. PHOTO SHOWS:- Mr. Churchill watching the flying demonstration with Sir Archibald Sinclair, Air Minister. (Picture issued October 1943). PN". The caption slip concludes by repeating the embargo "NOT TO BE PUBLISHED BEFORE THE EVENING PAPERS, TUESDAY OCTOBER 19th." When Churchill ascended to the premiership in 1940, he and Archibald Henry Macdonald Sinclair, first Viscount Thurso (1890-1970) already had a long, established friendship. Their friendship had formed when "Sinclairin his early twenties was turning towards politics and ready to trust in an older man as his guiding star;Churchillin his late thirties was already a curiously paternal figure delighted to discover a young disciple. The letters which he andSinclairexchanged during the First World War are remarkable on both sides for their expression of private feeling, and read like those of a mutually devoted father and son.Sinclaircould write toChurchillin April 1916 of 'my keen longing to serve you in politics—more humbly but more energetically than I have been able to in war'" (ODNB and Gilbert, 1494). When Churchill became Prime Minister in May 1940, he appointed Sinclair Secretary of State for Air, a post Sinclair retained until May 1945.This press photo once belonged tothe working archive of The Daily Telegraph. During the first half of the twentieth century, photojournalism grew as a practice, fundamentally changing the way the public interacted with current events.Newspapers assembled expansive archives, including physical copies of all photographs published or deemed useful for potential future use, their versos typically marked with ink stamps and notes providing provenance and captions. Photo departments would often take brush, paint, pencil, and marker to the surface of photographs themselves to edit them before publication. Today these photographs exist as repositories of historical memory, technological artifacts, and often striking pieces of vernacular art.
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An original Second World War Official U.S. Navy photograph of the moments just before the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender on board USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay just after 9:00 AM on 2 September 1945

This original Second World War Official U. S. Navy photograph captures the moments just before the formal signing of the Instrument of Surrender on board USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay just after 9:00 AM on 2 September 1945. Visible in the upper center of the image are the two Japanese representatives who signed – Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu and General Yoshijiro Umezu, with their retinue in two rows behind them. In the image center, the four men standing or moving on the other side of the table where the document awaits signature are, left to right: Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey (walking with both of his arms in front of him), one of only four officers to attain the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the U.S. Navy. The Missouri was the flagship of Halsey’s Third Fleet. Standing before the table, facing the Japanese, with his back to the camera, is U.S. Army General George C. Kenney, commander of Allied Air Forces in the South West Pacific Area. Facing and walking toward Halsey, with notes in his hand, is General Douglas MacArthur who, as Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, would preside over the demilitarization and democratization of occupied Japan. To the right of MacArthur, standing beside the microphone from which MacArthur addresses the assembly, is Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander in chief of the Pacific Fleet, as well as all Allied ground and air forces based in the region. Like Halsey, Nimitz was one of only four officers to attain the rank of five-star fleet admiral of the U.S. Navy.The gelatin silver print measures 10 x 8.125 inches (25.4 x 20.6 cm). Condition is very good plus, the paper complete and the image clean, with only light wear confined to the white border. The verso features a four-line ink stamp at the lower left reading "OFFICIAL U.S. NAVY PHOTOS | ANTHONY F. WIN | 2439 NORTH FRANCISCO AVE | CHICAGO 47, ILLINOIS". At the lower right, written in black in three lines is "9/2/47 | Jap Surrender aboard | USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay". Obviously the "47" in the date is erroneous. Written in pencil at the lower center of the verso is "MacArthur, Halsey, Nimitz". In blue ink in the white lower margin of the image, below each of the subject men, is written "Halsey Kenny MacArthur Nimitz". The image is protected within a clear, archival sleeve.MacArthur had addressed the assembly thus:"We are gathered here, representatives of the major warring powers, to conclude a solemn agreement whereby peace may be restored. The issues involving divergent ideals and ideologies have been determined on the battlefields of the world and, hence, are not for our discussion or debate. The terms and conditions upon which surrender of the Japanese Imperial Forces is here to be given and accepted are contained in the instrument of surrender now before you I now invite the representatives of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters to sign the instrument of surrender at the places indicated."Prepared by the War Department and approved by President Truman, the Instrument of Surrender set out in eight short paragraphs the complete capitulation of Japan. The opening words, "We acting by command of and in behalf of the Emperor of Japan, the Japanese Government, and the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters, hereby accept " signified the importance attached to the Emperor’s role and the necessity of acceptance by both civil and military authority. The second short paragraph made the unequivocal nature of the capitulation clear: "We hereby proclaim the unconditional surrender to the Allied Powers of the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters and of all Japanese armed forces and all armed forces under Japanese control wherever situated." On 6 September, the surrender document and a second imperial rescript were presented to President Truman in Washington, D.C. The documents were exhibited at the National Archives before being formally received into the National Archives holdings.
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PRIME MINISTER ATTENDS MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR SIR KINGSLEY WOOD” – An original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill and his wife, Clementine, at the Memorial Service for Sir Kingsley Wood on 24 September 1943

This is an original Second World War press photograph of British Prime Minister Winston S. Churchill and his wife, Clementine, at the Memorial Service for Sir Kingsley Wood on 24 September 1943.The gelatin silver print on heavy glossy photo paper measures 6 x 8 inches (15.24 x 20.32 cm). Condition is very good, the image clean and crisp despite a mild sepia tone. Wear is trivial and confined to the white edge margins, the corners remaining sharp. In the image, Clementine regards the camera and Churchill looks down, both striding forward, both countenances set and serious, befitting the occasion and the war which had just added Wood to its grim tally. The verso of the photograph tells the story of its origin. A red ink stamp indicates that the photograph was supplied by "KEYSTONE PRESS AGENCY LTD." A black ink stamp testifies that this print was "RECEIVED" on "24 SEP 1943" by the "EVENING STANDARD", a London daily newspaper. The original, typed, Keystone caption remains tipped onto the verso. The caption is titled: "PRIME MINISTER ATTENDS MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR SIR KINGSLEY WOOD. 24.9.43." The caption text reads: "Mr. and Mrs. Churchill attended a memorial service for Sir Kingsley Wood held at St. Margarets, Westminster today. PHOTO SHOWS: Mr. and Mrs. Churchill arriving for the memorial service at St. Margarets, Westminster this afternoon HD/J. Keystone. 473333." When war broke out in September 1939, Sir Kingsley Wood (1881-1943) was serving as Secretary of State for Air. Months later, he played a pivotal role in Winston Churchill's May 1940 ascendance to the premiership. At dawn on 10 May Germany invaded Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium. A Cabinet meeting was called and Chamberlain concluded that the situation was dire enough to necessitate delaying his resignation. Sir Kingsley Wood argued that the seriousness of the German threat should accelerate Chamberlain’s resignation and encouraged Churchill to become Prime Minister. A third War Cabinet was summoned for four-thirty that afternoon. "Once again, Churchill crossed the Horse Guards Parade to where his colleagues and their advisers were assembled." It was at this meeting, as the fifth item on the War Cabinet’s agenda, that Chamberlain announced he would "at once tender his resignation to The King." By that night, Churchill was prime minister. Sir Kingsley Wood was appointed Chancellor of the Exchequer, serving until his death in 1943.This image once belonged to the working archive of Evening Standard. During the first half of the twentieth century, photojournalism grew as a practice, fundamentally changing the way the public interacted with current events.Newspapers assembled expansive archives, including physical copies of all photographs published or deemed useful for potential future use, their versos typically marked with ink stamps and notes providing provenance and captions. Photo departments would often take brush, paint, pencil, and marker to the surface of photographs themselves to edit them before publication. Today these photographs exist as repositories of historical memory, technological artifacts, and often striking pieces of vernacular art.