Description:

Arthur Szyk Signed WWII Stamp & Presented Photo Signed by Treasury Secretary Henry Morgenthau, Jr.

Two pieces relating to the life and career of Polish-Jewish illustrator Arthur Szyk (1894-1952).

The lot is comprised of:

1. A poster stamp designed by Arthur Szyk in 1941 to raise funds for the British American Ambulance Corps, signed as "Arthur Szyk" in the upper right corner. Gentle toning, else near fine. The stamp is displayed in a floating mount, the actual size 2.125" x 1.75." Matted and framed behind glass to a completed size of 8.375" x 8" x 1." Not examined out of the frame.

Szyk's stamp design offered a modern take on Saint George slaying the dragon; here, the patron saint of England wore a steel trench helmet, and the dragon was emblazoned with swastikas. The first sheet of this poster stamp was issued on February 19, 1941, ten months before the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor. In 1940, Szyk had illustrated a series made into postage stamps depicting Franklin D. Roosevelt's "Four Freedoms." Stamps were partly the responsibility of the U.S. Treasury, led by Henry Morgenthau, Jr. between 1934-1945...

2. A sepia-colored portrait photograph of newly appointed U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr. (1891-1967) by Kaiden Studios, signed, inscribed, and dated by him as: "To Mr + Mrs Arthur Szyk with compliments of / Henry Morgenthau / Feby. 23/34" along the bottom. The actual size of the photograph is 6.875" x 8.875." Expected surface wear including a scuff to the top photo edge, else very good. Displayed in a floating mount and framed behind glass. Not examined out of the frame. The framed size overall is 9.5" x 12.25" x .5." A label verso reads in part, "Courtesy of Mrs. Alexandra Bracie." Alexandra Bracie (1922-2016) was the artist's daughter.

Arthur Szyk was a talented illustrator who settled permanently in the United States after 1940. He used his technical knowledge of medieval and Renaissance book illumination to create intricate drawings and illustrations commenting on history, spiritual life, and modern politics. Szyk became one of the most important political cartoonists of World War II, and his drawings were published in major magazines and five times made the cover of "Time." Szyk's depictions of Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Emperor Hirohito, Francisco Franco, Joseph Goebbels, Henrich Himmler, Hermann Goering, Hideki Tojo, Pierre Laval, Henri Pétain and other Axis leaders and Axis puppets fueled the American war propaganda machine.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

January 6, 2022 10:30 AM EST
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000