ShareThisDear Helaine and Joe: I would like your professional opinion concerning the attached photocopy of a letter. Do you think Winston Churchill genuinely signed the letter? -- D.K., e-mail
Dear D.K.: To provide a truly "professional opinion," we would have to see the object in question. But we have studied the handwriting and have arrived at a judgment that we believe is correct within the parameters of what we have to work with.
Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill entered the world on Nov. 30, 1872, and died on Jan. 24, 1965. He is an iconic figure in 20th-century world history, and today his name and voice are known by almost every schoolchild.
Apart from leading the British people through the cataclysmic days of World War II, Churchill served as an army officer who saw duty in Cuba (he came under fire there for the first time on his 21st birthday, which thrilled him greatly); in India (where he was an outstanding polo player); in Sudan (where he participated in the cavalry charge at Omdurman); and in South Africa (where he became a prisoner of war until his daring escape on foot).
He joined Parliament in 1900, became home secretary in 1910 and served as first lord of the admiralty at the start of World War I -- but that part of his career ended with the military debacle at Gallipoli. His time as chancellor of the exchequer (1924-1929) was an unmitigated disaster.
A political exile for most of the 1930s, Churchill saw his fortunes change with the arrival of WWII. He would spend two terms as prime minister, from May 1940 to July 1945 and from October 1951 to April 1955. The writer and artist won the 1953 Nobel Prize in literature. Objects related to him are highly desired by collectors.
D.K.'s typewritten letter, addressed to "Wilfred E. Fish, Esq., CBE," appears on 10 Downing St. stationery during the time of Churchill's second stint as prime minister. Actually, we think this might be Dr. Wilfred E. Fish, who was dean of the faculty of dental surgery, Royal College of Surgeons of England, from 1956 to 1959. Fish was also Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE), an order of chivalry established by King George V in 1917.
Anyway, it is likely Churchill knew this man personally, and Fish may have been his dentist. But that is only an unsubstantiated supposition on our part.
Even though the contents of this letter are mundane, collectors still strongly desire Churchill's autograph written during his time as prime minister. It appears that on this one, Churchill handwrote the "20" in the date and the "Yours Sincerely," along with his signature.
One consistent problem with 20th-century autographs of important figures: the possibility that a secretary or publicist mimicked the signature. Many secretaries were good at this type of forgery, but this particular signature has all the characteristics of being genuine. Therefore, we feel it has an insurance-replacement value of $1,600 to $2,000.
(Helaine Fendelman and Joe Rosson are the authors of "Price It Yourself" (HarperResource, $19.95). Contact them at Treasures in Your Attic, P.O. Box 27540, Knoxville, TN 37927. E-mail them at treasures(at)knology.net.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.com)
TREASURES IN YOUR ATTIC
