cast bronze in Roman Empire style with two Fax (Roman Torch) arms, paper shades that slip over the light bulbs, stamped 10 twice on reverse with mounting holes, 21.3" x 33.75" high. This sconce, along with an unknown number of similar sconces, was liberated from Hitler's office in the Reich's Chancellery after the fall of Berlin. Together with extensive documentation from Mutual European war correspondent Kathryn Cravens (1898-1991) detailing the circumstances under which the sconce was collected. In the years before the war, Cravens had a long career acting in both films and later in radio. In 1931, she became the director of "The Woman's Hour" on KMOX radio in St. Louis, which later became "News Through a Woman's Eyes," with Cravens becoming one of the first acknowledged woman news commentators. With the outbreak of WWII, she became the first accredited woman war correspondent, and along with Allied Troops, entered Berlin at its fall - the first such woman to enter the city. In an undated, seven page hand-written account of how she acquired the sconce, Cravens relates how she was given a Jeep and a GI escort to accompany her as she went about pursuing stories in post-war Berlin. Two places were at the top of her list: the Reich's Chancellery and Hitler's bunker, both located in the Russian Zone. When she arrived at the Reich's Chancellery, it was guarded by Russian troops, but her press credentials allowed her to pass to view the badly damaged interior. In her account she relates: In Hitler's office his great marble desk still sat among the debris....Behind Hitler's desk, a sconce, gold-leafed and bronze half hung to the wall. I started towards it and fell on the slippery floor. The GIs helped me up. "I want that sconce" I said. "Let's cut those wires and take it down." Knowing that the Russians would never allow the sconce to be removed, Cravens and her GI escorts devised a ruse to distract the attention of the guards. Faking a fall and screaming for help, Cravens lay near the entrance, and when the Russian Guards came to her assistance, the GIs accompanying her spirited the sconce out of the building to their waiting Jeep and back to the safety of the American Zone. The sconce was subsequently shipped back to the United States. Additionally, the lot is accompanied by two 8" x 10" press photos of Cravens, one showing her in uniform, along with photocopies of the sconce in place in the Reich's Chancellery. Condition: Rewired wire and cleaned many years ago. Very good. PLEASE NOTE: The sconce weighs 32 lbs. and will require special crating and shipping.
cast bronze in Roman Empire style with two Fax (Roman Torch) arms, paper shades that slip over the light bulbs, stamped 10 twice on reverse with mounting holes, 21.3" x 33.75" high. This sconce, along with an unknown number of similar sconces, was liberated from Hitler's office in the Reich's Chancellery after the fall of Berlin. Together with extensive documentation from Mutual European war correspondent Kathryn Cravens (1898-1991) detailing the circumstances under which the sconce was collected. In the years before the war, Cravens had a long career acting in both films and later in radio. In 1931, she became the director of "The Woman's Hour" on KMOX radio in St. Louis, which later became "News Through a Woman's Eyes," with Cravens becoming one of the first acknowledged woman news commentators. With the outbreak of WWII, she became the first accredited woman war correspondent, and along with Allied Troops, entered Berlin at its fall - the first such woman to enter the city. In an undated, seven page hand-written account of how she acquired the sconce, Cravens relates how she was given a Jeep and a GI escort to accompany her as she went about pursuing stories in post-war Berlin. Two places were at the top of her list: the Reich's Chancellery and Hitler's bunker, both located in the Russian Zone. When she arrived at the Reich's Chancellery, it was guarded by Russian troops, but her press credentials allowed her to pass to view the badly damaged interior. In her account she relates: In Hitler's office his great marble desk still sat among the debris....Behind Hitler's desk, a sconce, gold-leafed and bronze half hung to the wall. I started towards it and fell on the slippery floor. The GIs helped me up. "I want that sconce" I said. "Let's cut those wires and take it down." Knowing that the Russians would never allow the sconce to be removed, Cravens and her GI escorts devised a ruse to distract the attention of the guards. Faking a fall and screaming for help, Cravens lay near the entrance, and when the Russian Guards came to her assistance, the GIs accompanying her spirited the sconce out of the building to their waiting Jeep and back to the safety of the American Zone. The sconce was subsequently shipped back to the United States. Additionally, the lot is accompanied by two 8" x 10" press photos of Cravens, one showing her in uniform, along with photocopies of the sconce in place in the Reich's Chancellery. Condition: Rewired wire and cleaned many years ago. Very good. PLEASE NOTE: The sconce weighs 32 lbs. and will require special crating and shipping.
Testen Sie LotSearch und seine Premium-Features 7 Tage - ohne Kosten!
Lassen Sie sich automatisch über neue Objekte in kommenden Auktionen benachrichtigen.
Suchauftrag anlegen
.jpg "Quelle: Christie's")
.jpg "Quelle: Christie's")
