Sold For $8,536
*Includes Buyers Premium
Rare vintage 8.25 x 10.75 color transfer print of Churchill in his RAF uniform by David Waddington, signed in the lower border in ink, "Winston S. Churchill." The photographer's facsimile signature is printed in the lower border the image. Affixed to a 10 x 13.5 mount and in very good to fine condition, with a crack/tear to the lower right corner of the mount, and an unobtrusive professionally repaired tear to the image, passing through Churchill's left arm and the end of his first name.
While serving in the Royal Air Force (RAF), photographer David Waddington was assigned to the 'RAF Colour Portrait Project'—a fundraising effort to benefit the United States Army Air Forces Aid Society and Royal Air Force Charities. For his sitting, Winston Churchill chose to wear his decorated Air Commodore uniform: in 1939, he was appointed Honorary Air Commodore of No. 615 (County of Surrey) Squadron in the Auxiliary Air Force, and awarded honorary wings.
Churchill was reportedly so enthused with the resulting portrait that he requested five direct-color transfer prints to autograph for presentation; these are therefore extremely rare and highly prized today. Similar prints, bearing Waddington’s printed signature but lacking Churchill’s autograph, were subsequently mass-produced for fundraising purposes.
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