Iconic matte-finish 2.75 x 3.75 portrait of Churchill striking a serious pose, affixed to its original 4.25 x 6.25 mount, neatly signed on the mount in fountain pen, "Winston S. Churchill." Also signed and inscribed on the reverse by Churchill's daughter to BBC personality Jimmy Savile, "Jimmy Savile from Mary Soames, with my thanks, and in memory of someone we both admired." In fine condition, with faint silvering to the perimeter of the image. An enduring portrait of Churchill captured by Walter Stoneman at 10 Downing Street on April 1, 1941, the day Churchill was awaiting word on Germany's fateful invasion of Yugoslavia.
Sir Jimmy Savile (1926-2011) was a British disc jockey, television presenter, and charity fundraiser who was posthumously revealed to have allegedly sexually abused hundreds of people, including children, over several decades. Despite these allegations, Savile was praised in obituaries for his personal qualities and his work raising an estimated £40 million for charities.
This photo is referenced in Dan Davies’ 2014 book In Plain Sight: The Life and Lies of Jimmy Savile, which recounts a conversation between Savile and Soames. Per Savile: ‘Now, his daughter Mary wanted me to do her a favour and I said, ‘OK, get me a signed photo of your Dad.’ She said he didn't sign anything so I said, ‘Tough. No favour.’ She said. ‘Leave it with me.’ [Savile] opened the glass door of the cabinet and removed the small, signed photograph. 'Look what it says on the back. Jimmy Savile. From Mary Soames. My thanks and in memory of someone we both admired.’ He put the frame back in the cabinet and closed the door. He looked pleased with himself. That's worth a lot of money, especially in America.’
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