CHURCHILL, Winston Spencer (1874-1965), Clementine CHURCHILL (1885-1977), Clement ATTLEE (1883-1967), Peter Geoffrey OATES (1919-2007), and others. An archive of manuscript and printed material. Please see the full description. (qty)

CHURCHILL, Winston Spencer (1874-1965), Clementine CHURCHILL (1885-1977), Clement ATTLEE (1883-1967), Peter Geoffrey OATES (1919-2007), and others. An archive of manuscript and printed material comprising: 

Winston Spencer CHURCHILL  

A monochrome portrait photograph of Winston Churchill SIGNED AND INSCRIBED on the mount, "P. G. Oates from Winston S. Churchill, 1954", the photograph by "Vivienne" ([i.e. Florence Vivienne Mellish (1889-1982)] bearing her stamped signature in the lower left corner, framed and glazed, image size 155 x 110mm, overall size (including frame) 265 x 174mm; 

The Illustrated London News. An Eightieth Year Tribute to Winston Churchill. Statesman, Historian, Sportsman, Soldier and Orator. 1954. Edited by Bruce Ingram (London, 1954, folio (367 x 265mm), coloured frontispiece portrait of Churchill, plates and illustrations, original red decorated wrappers, PRESENTATION COPY, SIGNED AND INSCRIBED on the front free endpaper, "To P. G. Oates from Winston Churchill, 1954"; 

2 printed telegrams from Churchill to Peter Oates, the first postmarked 30.11.54 stating, "Thank you both so much - Winston Churchill"; the second postmarked 2.12.55 stating the same; 

2 typed envelopes addressed to Churchill at 10 Downing Street, one undated, the other postmarked 23. [?] 1954, the former with a wax seal on the verso lettered "Foreign Office Nepal" (neither containing letters); 

A small autograph note in an unidentified hand (Oates'?) quoting from a late-night conversation with Churchill: "'The only reason I ever went into politics was to get things done in the way I thought was right. I have never had any other ambition than to prevent things being done in a way I did not like. But it is [?]often harder to get things done in one's own way.' W.S.C. 16.6.54, 1.15am";

CHURCHILL FUNERAL PAPERS, from 1965, comprising: "State Funeral at St. Paul's Cathedral. The Earl Marshall has it in Command from the Queen to invite [typed:] Mr. P. Oates ... [etc]", printed sheet; "Reply Form ...", printed sheet, with stapled note attached; Peter Oates's ticket for St Paul's; "The Order of Service ...", printed booklet; "Notice to Driver. This Label must be Affixed to the Windscreen ...", printed label; "Traffic Control ...", printed sheet; "Ceremonial to be Observed at the Funeral ...", printed booklet; "State Funeral St Paul's Cathedral. General Instructions ...", printed sheet (condition of all the papers as new); 

Clementine CHURCHILL

A 2-page autograph letter, signed by Clementine Churchill, on paper headed 10, Downing Street, dated February 19, 1953, stating, "My dear Mr Oates, I find after all the numbers to-day are rather awkward. Would you and Mrs Oates lunch with us on Thursday the 26th at 1.30? I do hope your child is better? We look forward to seeing you both. Yours [?]ever, Clementine S. Churchill";

A one-page typed letter, signed (by Sheila Minto), on paper headed 10, Downing Street, dated June 1, 1953, stating, "Dear Mrs Oates, Thank you for your letter. Lady Churchill is very pleased that you can come to breakfast and luncheon at No. 10 on Coronation Day and bring [your daughters]. Yours sincerely, Sheila Minto" - Sheila Minto LVO, OBE (1908-94) worked at 10 Downing Street as a senior clerical staff administrator from 1935 to her retirement in 1968, serving 8 Prime Ministers including Churchill throughout WWII;

A one-page typed letter, signed by Clementine Churchill, on paper headed 28, Hyde Park gate, dated February 15, 1965, stating, "Dear Mr Oates, I was so glad to have your letter and your sympathy at this time is a comfort to me. Thank you so much for writing. Yours sincerely, Clementine S. Churchill", with typed envelope - Winston Churchill had died on January 24, 1965;

Clement ATTLEE

A monochrome portrait photograph of Clement Attlee SIGNED on the mount "C. R. Attlee", the photographer unknown, framed and glazed, image size 248 x 186mm, overall size (including frame) 310 x 228mm;

A coloured 'doodle' of 3 circular geometric designs by Clement Attlee on a sheet of off-white paper measuring 230 x 150mm, with an autograph postcard attached stating, "Doodle by C. R. Attlee during a cabinet meeting in 1951" - Attlee was an inveterate 'doodler' during cabinet meetings and similar examples often appear at auction;

with a quantity of miscellaneous items including Oates' Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal in its original box with accompanying printed presentation letter on paper headed "Buckingham Palace", some further printed coronation ephemera, a number of printed invitations to various functions and a few relevant newspapers and magazines.

Provenance: Peter Geoffrey Oates (1919-2007) joined the Higher Civil Service during the post-war ‘reconstruction’ of 1945 and was posted initially to the Ministry of Transport. In 1951 he was appointed to the Prime Minister’s Office at 10 Downing Street working first as a private secretary for Clement Attlee and then, after the October election of that year, for Winston Churchill. He had a high regard for Attlee and a good working relationship which extended on occasion to making up a four for tennis. Life in Churchill’s office was somewhat different. According to Oates, Churchill could be infuriating and was always demanding but to work for him felt like being ‘present at the making of history’. One of the private secretaries was always on duty and on call, overnight and at weekends, and had to endure Churchill’s idiosyncratic working methods and timetable. These included working in bed in the mornings, a long afternoon sleep and working after dinner until 3 am or later. Oates was on duty the night that George VI died and he was closely involved with managing the accession and coronation of Elizabeth II. Peter’s three-year term at Number 10 ended in 1954 when he was seconded to NATO headquarters, then in Paris; and thence by descent. (qty)