Description:

Winston Churchill
New York, NY, ca. 1951
Framed 1951 Portrait of Winston Churchill, Photographed by Philippe Halsman
Photograph
A vintage black and white print of Philippe Halsman's 1951 portrait of Winston Churchill at his home Chartwell. Measuring 6.75" x 9" (sight), New York, dated ca. 1951. Churchill appears as his usual glowering self in a casual zippered jacket, photographed in the Halsman's closely-cropped style. Halsman's signature in print at the bottom right. Matted and framed to the overall size of 14" x 16", with a silver plaque reading "Philippe Halsman/Winston Churchill 1951." Very fine condition.

Philippe Halsman (1906-1979) was a Latvian-born Jewish photographer who was one of the countless great artists who emigrated to the United States in 1940, with the help of Albert Einstein. For the next 30 years he produced some of the most memorable photographs of the 20th century, including 101 covers for LIFE magazine. He also enjoyed a 37-year collaboration with Surrealist artist Salvador Dali. In the early 1950s, Halsman began to ask his subjects to jump for his camera at the conclusion of each sitting - the most famous of which may be Marilyn Monroe. These uniquely witty and energetic images have become an important part of his photographic legacy.

This intimate photograph of Churchill was featured on the November 2, 1953 cover of "LIFE" magazine and was also included in the textbooks for the courses that Halsman, and other acclaimed photographers, taught at the Famous Photographers School in the 1960s. Of his portrait photography Halsman would say "Every face I see seems to hide—and sometimes fleetingly reveal—the mystery of another human being."

Famous Photographers School (FPS) gathered the ten most famous American photographers of the mid-century. The goal was to teach aspiring photographers through courses designed by masters of their craft. Each photographer created works especially for the school coursebooks as well as illustrating the course textbooks with some of their most famous photographs.

This photograph comes directly from the archive of the Famous Photographers School, founded in 1961 and directed by renowned photographer Victor Keppler. It gathered as faculty the ten most famous American photographers of its time: Richard Avedon, Irving Penn, Alfred Eisenstadt, Bert Stern, Richard Beattie, Philippe Halsman, Arthur d'Arazien, Joseph Costa, Ezra Stoller, Harry Garfield and others. Margaret Bourke-White served as faculty advisor.

Each photographer created works exclusively for the school textbooks, as well as illustrating the lessons with some of their most famous photographs. Most of the prints we offer here are stamped with page numbers corresponding to their placement in the books. Some even include detailed handwritten notations giving details on techniques. These prints were kept in file drawers following the dissolution of the school in the mid-seventies.

The images we offer here come directly from the photographers' studios. These works are the actual prints used to create iconic images featured in issues of LIFE, Time, Vogue, and so many other publications, and created long before limited-edition portfolios with signed examples of the photographers' works were offered widely. The Famous Photographers School Archive was purchased by a Connecticut photography expert. While much of it was then acquired by the Yale University Art Gallery in 2016, the original purchaser retained a small collection, which are now offered by University Archives.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

  • Dimensions: 14" x 16"
  • Medium: Photograph

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house world-wide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses that proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with a signature required option, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third-Party Shipping Option: If a third-party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third-party. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third-party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third-party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third-party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

March 12, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000