Churchill in Word and Image As Collected By Carolyn L. Smith
Churchill tribute poster
….If you have not read Churchill’s works before, I hope you find something in this exhibition to tempt you into the world of eloquent language used in the service of history and country.
---C[arolyn]. L. S[mith]., Introduction (pp.9-10) to Grolier Club-produced pamphlet, “Churchilliana From The Collection of Carolyn L. Smith.”
And so, on a grey day in late February, this reporter met Mrs. Carolyn L. Smith, President of The Grolier Club, in the majestic second floor room that serves as The Grolier’s “Rare Book Room” and where the Churchilliana exhibit currently resides. There, sitting in overstuffed armchairs, surrounded by a fine show of rare Churchill and Churchill-related materials, we talked about things Churchill and things Grolier. In the selective paraphrase that follows, CLS stands for Mrs. Carolyn L. Smith; AT stands for this reporter.
AT: I feel compelled to start by saying that I have been in the book business for some time and have curated and catalogued some of the most formidable Churchill collections around. One thing that I noticed in all my years of working with these materials was that I never dealt with a woman Churchill collector. Perhaps this was just a matter of chance. But I’d like to start this interview by asking what drew you to Churchill as a figure worth collecting?
CLS: No, I think it’s true; there are not many female Churchill collectors, at least not many that I have met. But I tend to think of gender as irrelevant here. I was drawn to Churchill by the things about him that fascinate me in all books: his use of language. He was a writer who used language well. And he was always interested in history, as am I. Few writers can match him.
AT: I agree. His use of language was magnificent, and is one of the things that still makes him a pleasure to read. Can you tell me approximately how long ago you started collecting Churchill, and what you started with?
CLS: I started collecting Churchill about 25 years ago, give or take. At first I collected just his books. Then his pamphlets. Speeches. Then affiliate publications. The collection just kind of grew itself. Then it got to the point where I made a conscious effort to round out the collection.
AT: Where did you acquire most of your Churchill material from?
CLS: Mostly from dealers, in England.
AT: Did you or do you collect any other author’s works?
CLS: I have a small collection of Jane Austen and of Dickens. But Churchill has taken over. And I have a joint collection with my husband, who collects the works of early 20th century poets, of the works of the Irish poet Seamus Heaney.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("Martinus Luther") to His Friend the Theologian Gerhard Wiskamp ("Gerardo Xantho Lampadario"). $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: An Exceptionally Fine Copy of Austenís Emma: A Novel in Three Volumes. $40,000 - $60,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Presentation Copy of Ernest Hemmingwayís A Farewell to Arms for Edward Titus of the Black Mankin Press. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript Signed Integrally for "The Songs of Pooh," by Alan Alexander. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Manuscript of "Three Fragments from Gˆtterd‰mmerung" by Richard Wagner. $30,000 - $50,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Preliminary Artwork, for the First Edition of Snow Crash. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("T.R. Malthus") to Economist Nassau Senior on Wealth, Labor and Adam Smith. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: History of the Peloponnesian War by Thucydides Finely Bound by Michael Wilcox. $20,000 - $30,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: First Edition of Lewis and Clark: Travels to the Source of the Missouri River and Across the American Continent to the Pacific Ocean. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Original Artwork for the First Edition of Neal Stephenson's Groundbreaking Novel Snow Crash. $100,000 - $150,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: A Complete Set Signed Deluxe Editions of King's The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King. $8,000 - $12,000.
Bonhams, Dec. 8-18: Autograph Letter Signed ("John Adams") to James Le Ray de Chaumont During the Crucial Years of the Revolutionary War. $8,000 - $12,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Francesco Colonna. Hypnerotomachie, Paris, 1546, Parisian calf by Wotton Binder C for Marcus Fugger. €200,000 to €300,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Nausea. De principiis dialectices Gorgias, and other works, Venice, 1523, morocco gilt for Cardinal Campeggio. €3,000 to €4,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 17: Billon. Le fort inexpugnable de l'honneur, Paris, 1555, Parisian calf gilt for Peter Ernst, Graf von Mansfeld. €120,000 to €180,000.
Sotheby’s Book Week December 9-17, 2025
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Salinger, J.D. The Graham Family archive, including autographed letters, an inscribed Catcher, a rare studio photograph of the author, and more. $120,000 to $180,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of Sense and Sensibility, the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.
Sotheby’s, Dec. 16: Massachusetts General Court. A powerful precursor to the Declaration of Independence: "every Act of Government … without the Consent of the People, is … Tyranny." $40,000 to $60,000.
Heritage Auctions Rare Books Signature Auction December 15, 2025
Heritage, Dec. 15: John Donne. Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death. London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Edgar Rice Burroughs. Tarzan of the Apes.
Heritage, Dec. 15: F. Scott Fitzgerald. Tender is the Night. A Romance.
Heritage, Dec. 15: Jerry Thomas. How to Mix Drinks, or the Bon-Vivant's Companion, Containing Clear and Reliable Directions for Mixing All the Beverages Used in the United States…
![<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/9a74d9ff-42dd-46a1-8bb2-b636c4cec796.png "<b>Sotheby’s, Dec. 16:</b> [Austen, Jane]. A handsome first edition of <i>Sense and Sensibility,</i> the author's first novel. $60,000 to $80,000.")
![<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.](https://ae-files.s3.amazonaws.com/AdvertisementPhotos/8caddaea-4c1f-47a7-9455-62f53af36e3f.jpg "<b>Heritage, Dec. 15:</b> John Donne. <i>Poems, By J. D. With Elegies on the Author's Death.</i> London: M[iles]. F[lesher]. for John Marriot, 1633.")
