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Lot 2361

CHURCHILL, WINSTON L.S., SIR, and FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT.

11 June 2008, 13:00 EDT
New York

Sold for US$96,000 inc. premium

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CHURCHILL, WINSTON L.S., SIR, and FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT.

HAP ARNOLD'S COPY OF THE "SAIL ON, O SHIP OF STATE!" BROADSIDE, ONE OF ONLY A FEW JOINTLY SIGNED COPIES DISTRIBUTED AT THE ATLANTIC CONFERENCE.
Lithographic Broadside Signed ("Winston S. Churchill" and "Franklin D. Roosevelt"), 6¾ by 8¾ inches, n.p., n.d. [but August 1941], featuring Longfellow's verse and a galleon at sea printed in gray, black, and orange ink, label to verso of Raphael Tuck & Sons, Ltd, very minor age-toning to surface, otherwise very fine.

The first wartime meeting between Churchill and Roosevelt took place at sea in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland, during August of 1941. During this conference, the two leaders issued the Atlantic Charter: a general declaration of their joint aims regarding peace. Roosevelt also privately confirmed that, in the event of war, the defeat of Germany would be the first American priority, in spite of prevailing isolationist opinion and legislation at home.
The Longfellow verse printed on this card—"Sail on, O Ship of State! Sail on, O Union, strong and great! Humanity with all its fears, With all the hopes of future years, Is hanging breathless on thy fate!"—was first quoted by Roosevelt in a letter to Churchill dated January 19, 1941, in which the President explained that "this verse applies to you people as well as to us" (FDR: His Personal Letters, 1928-1945). Churchill had a very few copies of this decorative broadside printed and distributed them to select members of the conference, including Roosevelt and Hap Arnold.
Provenance: The Estate of General H.H. "Hap" Arnold.
See illustration.

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