Beschreibung:

[Churchill, Winston Spencer]. Collection of letters, photographs and ephemera from the papers of Charles Barker chief clerk, 10 Downing Street, 1940-45, comprising: 1. Colville (Sir Jock, 1915-1987), wartime Assistant Private Secretary to Churchill, later his Joint Principal Private Secretary (1951-55). Five autograph letters and one typed letter signed to Barker, 1947-52, i.e., a. 1947, on Foreign Office Stationery, on leaving the FO for a new post as private secretary to Princess Elizabeth (‘The foreign scene is dismal in these days and one’s soul shrivels before the negative, endlessly uncreative and relentless obstructed policy which our gallant Allies oblige us to pursue. It will be a relief to devote one’s energies to other tasks … From all accounts my quote Mistress unquote is a young lady of great vivacity and charm combined with a most precocious sense of responsibility’), b. 1947, typed, Buckingham Palace stationery (‘I showed your letter of the 30th October to The Princess Elizabeth who was delighted that her speech at Clydeside should have had such an admirable affect [sic] in Germany’), c. 1948, Buckingham Palace Stationery, retaining envelope, on Colville’s marriage to Lady Margaret Egerton, d. 1948, personal stationery (4 Mulberry Walk, SW3), thanking Barker for his wedding present, e. 1951, 10 Downing Street stationery, retaining envelope, on Colville’s return to Churchill’s employ (‘The old man is full of vigour but more benign than ever’), f. 1952, 10 Downing Street stationery, retaining envelope, 2. Martin (Sir John), wartime Principal Private Secretary to Churchill. Two autograph letters signed to Barker, 1952 & 1953, on Colonial Office and personal stationery, the former reading ‘The recent happenings at No 10 take one back to battles long ago …’, 3. Bracken (Brendan, 1901-1958). Typed letter signed to Barker, 1947, offering a job with Lord Camrose ‘partly as an adviser to him about furniture’, 4. Five other letters to Barker including from Anthony Bevin (Private Secretary to Churchill), 1952, ‘I am - & have been, worried about [Churchill’s wartime stenographer] Pat Kinna, but I’ve been away much in these last two years …’, 5. Sixteen press photographs (10’’ x 8’’) depicting Churchill and others at the Quebec conference, Yalta, and elsewhere, and Churchill and Clementine in later years, with agency wet-stamps ([Canadian] National Film Board; [US] Signal Corps Photo; Keystone Press; Barratt’s; Essex Press) versos, 6. Eleven further photographs (including 2 real-photo postcards) of Churchill and others, including a group photograph of Churchill and his secretarial staff including Barker in the garden of 10 Downing Street on 29 September 1941 (typescript label verso), a photograph of General Maitland-Wilson inspecting the French Foreign Legion, signed by Maitland-Wilson, and similar 7. Ephemera including: Order of service for Churchill’s funeral; Barker’s ticket for Churchill’s funeral (North Aisle, Block D, Row 4); Barker’s pass for the Quebec conference (1944); Churchill compliments slip; 3 x blank 10 Downing Street letterheads; 4 envelopes addressed to Churchill as prime minister, 8. A set of Churchill's The Second World War, with manuscript facsimile compliments slips ('WIth all good wishes from Winston S. Churchill'), volumes 1, 2 and 4 annotated in pencil 'Charles Barker's copy' (Qty: 1 folder & 6 volumes) Provenance: From the Winston Churchill Collection of Major Alan Taylor-Smith (1928-2019). Acquired by Major Alan Taylor-Smith at an auction in Battle, East Sussex at an unspecified date (according to Taylor-Smith's word-processed notes and biography of Charles Barker which accompany the lot).