CHURCHILL WINSTON S.: (1874-1965) British Prime... Lot 1439

CHURCHILL WINSTON S.: (1874-1965) British Prime Minister 1940-45, 1951-55. Nobel Prize winner for Literature, 1953. An exceptionally early and fine vintage signed sepia cabinet photograph (5 x 8), the image depicting the young military officer standing in a three-quarter length pose in his uniform and holding his pith helmet in one hand. Photograph by J. Heyman & Co. of Cairo and bearing their imprint to the lower mount and verso. Signed ('Winston S. Churchill') by Churchill to a clear area at the head of the image, also adding his rank, Lieut. 4th Hussars, and the date, September 1898, in his hand beneath his signature. Signed photographs of Churchill from this early stage of his life, before entering a career of politics, are extremely rare and highly desirable. Very slightly irregularly trimmed to the borders and with just very minimal, light age wear. VG In February 1895 Churchill was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 4th Queen's Own Hussars regiment of the British Army, based at Aldershot. Following military action in Cuba and India, Churchill got himself attached to General Kitchener's campaign in the Sudan as a 21st Lancers subaltern while, additionally, working as a journalist for The Morning Post. After fighting in the Battle of Omdurman on 2nd September 1898, the 21st Lancers were stood down. In October, Churchill returned to England and began writing The River War, an account of the campaign which was published in November 1899. It was at this time that he decided to leave the army.