Description:

George Patton, Jr.
[Headquarters 15th U.S. Army], November 7, 1945
George Patton Boldly Signed Photo, With Outstanding Provenance Dated 6 Weeks Before His Death! JSA LOA
SP & TL

A photograph of American military leader George S. Patton, Jr. (1885-1945), boldly signed by him at lower left as: "G S Patton Jr." N.d., n.p. but accompanied by a typed letter dated November 7, 1945. [Headquarters 15th U.S. Army.] The black and white glossy photograph is inscribed outside the image in an unknown hand, but not by Patton, as: "Commanding General 15th U.S. Army." Some surface anomalies including crazing and possible past exposure to moisture resulting in shininess mentioned only for accuracy and truly negligible. 7.625" x 5.625." The signed photograph comes with its original 1p typed transmittal letter signed in PRINT by Patton as "G.S. Patton, Jr. / General." On "Headquarters Fifteenth U.S. Army / Office of the Commanding General" letterhead. Flattened transmittal folds and isolated tape residue and discoloration along the edges. 8" x 10." With a JSA Letter of Authenticity, submission number 371927, dated June 4, 2025. Patton's pen was likely a fountain pen and the signature is exceptionally dark, especially on the first two initials, likely due to heavy pressure but with the result of creating a signature that would like grade a "10".

Patton sent this autographed photograph - along with its original transmittal letter - to an educator in southern Texas on November 7, 1945, about six weeks before his death on December 21, 1945 from complications following a car accident. The typed letter reads in part: "Dear Miss Templin: Thank you for your good letter of 3 October. I enclose a photograph for your Museum…" This was probably one of the last autographs which Patton distributed.

Patton's correspondent was Miss Lucinda de Leftwich Templin (1888-1969), the longtime principal of the Radford School for Girls, a private all-girls boarding school established in El Paso, Texas in the 1910s. Under Dr. Templin's four decades of leadership, the school flourished. An obituary for Dr. Templin notes that she oversaw the expansion of the school's infrastructure to include the addition of "of a $400,000 library and museum on property owned by the school…" This museum on the Radford School campus was probably the repository of Patton's signed photograph.

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.

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  • Dimensions: photo measures: 7.625" x 5.625"; letter measures: 8" x 10"
  • Medium: SP & TL

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March 25, 2026 10:30 AM EDT
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