American and British Winston Churchills - Original Period Antique Prints, Set of 2

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Two original antique period print portraits of Two Winston Churchills - American writer and British statesman. American Winston Churchill (1871 … Read more Two original antique period print portraits of Two Winston Churchills - American writer and British statesman. American Winston Churchill (1871 - 1947) attended Smith Academy in Missouri and the United States Naval Academy, where he graduated in 1894 and became an editor of the Army and Navy Journal. He resigned from the navy to pursue a writing career. While he would be most successful as a novelist, he was also a published poet and essayist. Churchill met and occasionally communicated with the British statesman and author Winston Churchill (no known relation). It was the American Churchill who became famous earlier, and in the 1890s he was much better known than his British counterpart.

The two are still occasionally confused, although the British Churchill wrote only one novel, Savrola, being better known for his popular histories and journalism. Both Churchills had political careers, and were both noted amateur painters. The similarities extend to their tertiary education; both attended service colleges and briefly served simultaneously as officers in their respective countries' armed forces.

The British Churchill, upon becoming aware of the American Churchill's books, wrote to him suggesting that he would sign his own works "Winston S. Churchill", using his middle name (actually part of his surname), "Spencer", to differentiate them. This suggestion was accepted, with the comment that the American Churchill would have done the same, had he any middle names.

The print after portrait of Sir Winston Churchill by Mortimer Menpes has an original title page. Printed in London, 1901. It's 6" L x 8.25" H.

Mortimer Luddington Menpes (1855-1938), was an Australian-born artist, author, printmaker and illustrator, member of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers, Royal Society of British Artists, Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours and Royal Institute of Oil Painter. Menpes painted in oil and watercolour as well as being a prolific printmaker, producing over 700 etchings and drypoints during his career to great acclaim.

The portrait of American Winston Churchill was printed in the U.S. in 1913. It has information about the famous American writer on the back. It's 6.5"L x 9.25" H

Both lithographic portraits are in excellent condition. less See less