September 30, 2021

The World of Churchill Collectables: Big Four Handkerchief

This multi-colored handkerchief measures 8 inches x 8 inches, is made of wartime nylon and features the names of allied leaders Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Joseph Stalin, and Chiang Kai-shek. Chiang makes a rare appearance here; he seldom appears with Churchill and Roosevelt on wartime patriotic items, except for the victory themed goods that started to be manufactured May, 1945.

Since this article includes no reference to the allied victory in 1945, it appears this handkerchief was produced to commemorate both the Cairo Conference (22–26 November, 1943) and the Tehran Conference (28 November–1 December, 1943). These two allied conferences were held back-to-back with Churchill and Roosevelt being the only two principal leaders to participate in both. It would make sense that an enterprising manufacturer would create an item celebrating both Chiang’s participation at Cairo and Stalin’s subsequent participation at Tehran. Given the close proximity in time, it would certainly be more practical and efficient to produce the one item to commemorate both conferences.

This handkerchief is rare and examples make appearances in the marketplace only a few times annually. If you find one, make sure there are no tears in the textile and that the colors are still vibrant. These two factors significantly affect the value.

Brian Krapf’s book We Want Winston!—A Treasury of Churchill Memorabilia will be published next year.