Four boxes with direct provenance to Sir Winston Churchill or his offices are expected to sell for up to £215,000 at auction. The pieces will be sold next week in Christie’s Exceptional Sale: Masterworks Across Cultures.
Items Offer Tangible Link to Churchill
The auction house said the items “offer a tangible link to the man and the moments that shaped him, his celebrated career and his enduring legacy.” The group is led by a prime ministerial despatch box which is recorded as having been used by Sir Winston circa 1940, during Britain’s “darkest hour.”
It sits alongside a humidor given to the war-time prime minister by US president Franklin D Roosevelt. Christie’s has said the item “encapsulates not only the single most important alliance in the Allied victory in the Second World War but also Churchill’s much famed love of cigars.”
Collection Spans Churchill’s Career
The collection also includes a 1915 despatch box, from Sir Winston’s period as chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster, and a tin deed box inscribed with his name, which also dates from this earlier period in his career. Sir Winston served as soldier and statesman under six British monarchs from Queen Victoria to Queen Elizabeth II.
Christie’s said the four boxes “illustrate the pivotal moments of Churchill’s political career spanning his time in government through both the First and Second World Wars.” “This remarkable group of items being sold now from a single collection, represent an unparalleled and tangible link to arguably the most celebrated political leader in modern history,” the auction house added.
Prime Ministerial Despatch Box Estimated at £70,000-£100,000
The first despatch box – which is embossed with “Prime Minister” – is expected to sell for between £70,000-£100,000. It has been documented as being used by Sir Winston while serving as prime minister between 1940-1945. This box is said to have been among those delivered to him daily, where it would have contained vital papers relating to the war as well as cabinet, foreign and commonwealth documents requiring his immediate attention.
It was previously held in the collection of the Foreign Office. Christie’s said the box “represents an incredibly rare piece of political history, as Prime Ministerial boxes almost never come to public auction.”
Humidor Given by Roosevelt
The humidor was initially given to Mr Roosevelt by Cuban president Fulgencio Batista, before the US president passed it onto Sir Winston, who had a well-known love of cigars. It is set to sell for between £25,000-£40,000.
Deed Box and 1915 Despatch Box
Meanwhile, the government deed box could sell for between £10,000-£15,000. As it features the inscription “The Right Honourable Winston S. Churchill, M.P.”, the box most likely dates from the period between 1907 and 1922. The auction house said evidence suggests continued use into the Second World War and beyond, meaning the box may have been utilised during both world wars and many key moments of Sir Winston’s career.
The box was retained by the British Foreign Office until as late as 1970, before being given to the current owner. The other despatch box is dated to 1915, at the height of The First World War. That year saw Sir Winston take personal responsibility for the Gallipoli campaign, stepping down as chancellor to the Duchy of Lancaster before seeking active service on the Western Front, serving as Lieutenant Colonel with the 6th Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers before returning to politics full-time later in 1916. This box could sell for between £40,000-£60,000.
