March 1, 2025

The World of Churchill Collectables

By BRIAN KRAPF

This month’s column features a special item from an historic event that took place in March 1946: a ticket to Winston Churchill’s legendary “Iron Curtain” speech. This is one of the ticket’s issued for admission to the gymnasium at Westminster College, where Churchill delivered his famous speech.

In 1946, at the urging of President Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill was invited by Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri to deliver its annual John Findley Green Lecture. Since Labour’s landslide victory in the July 1945 general election, Churchill was no longer Prime Minister, but he was Leader of the Opposition. Despite the Conservative Party being out of power, Churchill himself was still very popular both as an author and public speaker. 

On 5 March 1946, Churchill delivered his remarks after being introduced by President Truman. Although formally known as “The Sinews of Peace,” the text became better known as the “Iron Curtain” speech after its most famous phrases. Churchill described the advent of what became known as the Cold War and declared that a Soviet “iron curtain” had descended to isolate Eastern Europe. This speech is considered by historians to be one of Churchill’s best and one of the most pivotal speeches of the post-Second World War era.

2025 International Churchill Conference

Join us for the 42nd International Churchill Conference. Washington, DC | October 9-11, 2025

2025 International Churchill Conference

Brian Krapf’s book A Churchill Treasury: Sir Winston’s Public Service through Memorabilia was. published in 2024 and is available in the UK and North America.