9 March 1949 typed letter signed from Winston Churchill to Baron Hartwell

Description: A 9 March 1949 typed letter on Hyde Park Gate stationery from Winston S. Churchill to William Michael Berry, Baron Hartwell (standing in for Churchill's close friend, the publishing magnate Viscount Camrose) regarding a payment for Churchill's war memoirs and his forthcoming travel to New York City, featuring Churchill's autograph date, salutation, valediction, and signature, as well as extensive pencil notation regarding Churchill's travel plans Hyde Park Gate, London: 1949 Condition: Very Good This artifact of Winston S. Churchill’s preparation to publish the third volume of his Second World War memoirs is a 9 March 1949 letter signed by Churchill to the son of his close friend, the publishing magnate Viscount Camrose. This single page letter on Churchill’s watermarked, laid paper, Hyde Park Gate stationery features, all in blue ink, Churchill’s autograph “9” for the day in the date, the “Dear Michael,” salutation, the valediction “yours sincerely,” and his signature “Winston S. Churchill”. This letter also features extensive pencil notation, reflecting the effort to arrange a meeting in New York City between Churchill and Lord Camrose. Condition of the letter is very good, clean and complete (apart from the pencil notation) with a single circular hole punched at the upper left for filing, an adjacent staple scar, and two centered folds – one horizontal and one vertical – ostensibly from original posting. On 2 March Churchill had written to Michael, standing in for his father, to announce that Churchill would be ready to hand in the text of the third volume of his Second World War memoirs by May 1 and requesting prompt payment. Michael replied on 3 March stating that the norm was to pay month later, but that arrangements to pay sooner would be made. In this 9 March letter Churchill wrote “It is not necessary to pay the Trust till a month after May 1, so please make no special arrangements…” Michael had also written in his 3 March letter that Lord Camrose would be in New York at the end of the month, where he would “have the opportunity of discussing” Volume III “more exactly with Life and the New York Times.” As evident in the pencil notes on this letter, Churchill crossed the Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth, arriving in New York on 23 March, while Camrose was in New York until 26 March. Churchill wrote in this letter to Michael “I look forward to seeing your father in New York. It will be very convenient our all being there, as I have several questions to raise about the future.” It was at this meeting, on 23 March 1949 in New York, that Churchill formally proposed adding a sixth volume to his Second World War memoirs. The recipient of this letter, William Michael Berry (1911-2001), later Baron Hartwell, was the second son of British newspaper publisher William Ewert Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose (1879-1954). Viscount Camrose co-owned the Daily Telegraph and Morning Post – both papers for which a very young Churchill had served as a war correspondent in the final years of the 19th century during the reign of Queen Victoria. Churchill’s Second World War and postwar publisher in Britain – Cassell – was also linked to Camrose. In the postwar years, Camrose played crucial roles in securing Churchill’s prosperity. Churchill turned to Camrose to help negotiate sale of publication rights to Churchill’s war memoirs. Sale of these rights enabled ongoing financial security for Churchill’s family via a special Family Trust (referred to in this letter) whereby all earnings from his war memoirs would go to the benefit of his children and grandchildren without the burden of taxation. Of Camrose, Churchill later said “He was one of my most true and most valued friends for more than thirty years.” This letter came to us as part of an archive of correspondence from Churchill to Camrose and Camrose’s sons, centered on the conception, writing, and publication of Churchill’s Second World War memoirs, and spanning sixteen years, from October 1946 to October 1962. The file in which the correspondence was kept bore a typed label “LETTERS SIGNED | (or initialed) | by SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL”. Fittingly, among the pencil notations on this letter is the word “File” at the upper left just to the right of the date. Ref #: 008038 CHURCHILL BOOK COLLECTOR We are Churchill Book Collector, a professional bookseller specializing in books and other published works by and about the great twentieth century statesman and acclaimed writer, Sir Winston Churchill. We offer both a singular inventory and approachable expertise. The integrity of our inventory is backed by our membership in the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), and the Independent Online Booksellers Association (IOBA). Churchill's official biographer, Sir Martin Gilbert, rightly called Churchill's long life "remarkable and versatile". Statesman, soldier, war correspondent, ardent social reformer, combative cold warrior, painter - Churchill was many things, but perhaps above all a master wordsmith. We’re here to help Churchill’s words find your shelves. Our extensive inventory features some of the rarest material offered – including fine first editions and inscribed copies – as well as reading copies and works about Churchill’s life and time. While we specialize in Churchill, our inventory also includes noteworthy first and collectible editions by other authors, ranging from Xenophon to T. E. Lawrence, spanning exploration and empire to twentieth century fiction. We are able to help with anything from finding individual books to assembling full collections, working closely with individual collectors to identify and accommodate their preferences and budget. We are also able to commission preservation cases and fine bindings. Please contact us if you have books to sell. We buy, and in some cases consign, fine and collectible individual items, as well as whole collections.

Price: 2400 USD

Location: San Diego, California

End Time: 2024-10-17T02:38:26.000Z

Shipping Cost: 20 USD