September 3, 2019

By BRIAN KRAPF

This 4” x 4” chalkware plaque of Winston Churchill may not be the most attractive rendering of him we have seen, but it is among the rarest of wartime Churchilliana. Made as a dime store novelty, many were broken and discarded after they fell from walls or shelves. It is a challenge to find one of these pieces fully intact and without chips or blemishes.

There is no attributed maker, but it is obvious that the pieces were commercially produced by pouring the liquid chalk into molds. If you are fortunate to find one of these pieces in collectible condition, it is a wise purchase.