May 7, 2015

Finest Hour 117, Winter 2002-03

Page 40

FROM THE JAFFA COLLECTION AT HILLSDALE COLLEGE

Occasionally you see these fine intaglio prints: but have you ever seen them all?

In the 1970s, Sarah Churchill published commercially a series of intaglio drawings by Curtis Hooper entitled, “A Visual Philosophy of Sir Winston Churchill.” Except for one based on a sketch of her father by Sarah, each was composed from famous photographs, selected by Sarah to portray the great impulses of her father’s life. The publisher was Graphic House in New Jersey, USA, and the venture was apparently successful. Artist Hooper went so far as to claim that Graphic House insured his hands for $1 million during the project.

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Each print was assigned a particular Churchill quotation and was signed by Sarah in pencil. They came in two sizes: normal page size and a larger format (22 1/2 x 34 1/2″). Each large format print was a limited edition of 400, numbered as well as signed, with a debossed Churchill coat of arms and the assigned quotation.

Few if any full collections exist. We have heard estimates of over twenty prints and we know of two that are not shown here: the aforementioned Sarah sketch and a print based on a photo of WSC painting in France in 1939 (see FH 109, page 49). The Jaffa Collection is one of the most complete collections known, including many we had never laid eyes on before. As we placed them in position for this article, we were struck by the sensitivity of Sarah Churchill in choosing themes and imagery so appropriate to her father, from his early interests in war and air, through his famous friendships, his finest hour, and his declining years amidst the new threats of the nuclear age.

Individual examples sell in the range of $75-100/£45-65 for the small print, $300-400/£175-250 for the larger version. The latter are often seen on eBay and other auctions priced up to thousands of dollars, offered by sellers who usually do not realize that 400 of each were produced. The value of a full collection is difficult to judge. We would welcome photos of other prints (including the Sarah Churchill sketch and the 1939 painting scene that we know exist).

Our thanks to President Larry Arnn of Hillsdale College, and his assistant Joshua Baker, for kind assistance in photographing and transmitting these photos of the Jaffa Collection.