Churchill, Winston | His briefcase, complete with identification tag

The Passion of American Collectors: Property of Barbara and Ira Lipman

Churchill, Winston 

An expandable leather briefcase owned by Churchill in the 1940's

Leather briefcase (415 x 150 x 273 mm), with identification tag tied to handle, brass closure stamped "British Made"; overall rubbed, leather dry.

With several touring and travel guides and other ephemera, including: Altenburg, Wilh. Illustrated Europe. No. 143. 144. The Kursaal Maloja in the Upper Engadine and Its Environs. Zurich: Art. Institut Orell Füssli Publishers, [N.D.]. Several in-text illustrations and plates, large folding map printed in colors; some foxing and toning. Original cream wrappers pictorially printed in black and red; lower wrapper and map cleanly detached but present, some soiling and chipping. — English Roads at Glance in Twelve Sections: No. 9. London: George Philip & Son, Ltd., [N.D]. Maps printed in colors; minor soiling, some wear. Original blue/green pictorial wrappers printed in blue and brown; some wear and soiling. — English Roads at Glance in Twelve Sections: No. 10. London: George Philip & Son, Ltd., [N.D]. Maps printed in colors, contemporary annotations in pencil; minor soiling, some wear. Original blue/green pictorial wrappers printed in blue and brown; some wear and soiling, fractional loss to upper right corner. — A clipping from the Sunday Dispatch, No. 7,652, 27 June 1948. — 2 postcards of the Savoy Hotel, Madeira, and Snowdon, Wales; wear and soiling. — Black and white photograph (121 x 76 mm). Pencil annotation to verso reaching" Dunbrody Lord Templemore Estate"; some toning, marginal ink spots.

Group lots not subject to return. 

A remarkable item, used by Churchill during the pinnacle of his political career

From 1940 to 1945, Churchill served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, leading that country through some of its darkest days, and to victory in the Second World War. From 1945 to 1951, Churchill was Leader of the Opposition. During this time, he gave his now-iconic "Iron Curtain" speech, and ultimately moved toward a second run as Prime Minister. 

PROVENANCE

Winston S. Churchill (identification tag) — Malcom S. Forbes Junior (Christie’s New York, 3 December 2010, lot 57)