Charting Churchill: Admiralty Citadel, Horse Guards Parade, London

Admiralty Citadel, Horse Guards Parade, London 2014

In 1938, Winston Churchill continued to warn his country and colleagues about the rearmament of Germany; Hitler became even more aggressive on the continent; and Chamberlain replaced Baldwin as Prime Minister in Great Britain. Still, few Members of Parliament heeded Churchill’s warnings. In March 1939, German troops marched into Prague, and Britain pledged to guarantee Poland’s independence. On September 1st 1939, Hitler invaded Poland, and two days later Britain declared war on Germany. That same day, September 3rd 1939, for the second time in his career, Churchill was named First Lord of the Admiralty. His wilderness years were over. A signal was sent out to the British Fleet: “Winston is back.” Churchill held this cabinet post until May 1940.

The photograph above shows the Admiralty Citadel on the edge of Horse Guards Parade. Other Admiralty Buildings can be seen behind it on the right. Preparations for the Citadel started in 1939 when the Royal Naval Division memorial was moved to make way for its construction. Among other actions, the memorial recognized the landing of the Naval Division at Gallipoli. Winston Churchill had unveiled the memorial in 1925. Ironically, in 1939, he could watch its removal from the back windows of Admiralty House, where he lived from September 1939 until July 1940.

The concrete Citadel was designed to provide a safe work environment for Admiralty staff during the bombing of London, and could be retreated to in the event of an actual invasion. It is still used today as a secure government facility. Churchill famously described it as “a vast monstrosity which weighs upon the Horse Guards Parade” and he refused to use it himself. Today, the windowless bunker is covered with ivy.

The image featured above is part of the limited edition collector’s portfolio created by Leslie Hossack. She presents locations that chart Sir Winston Churchill’s personal and political life, from his birth at Blenheim Palace in 1874 until his death in London in 1965. THE CHURCHILL PHOTOGRAPHS are part of Hossack’s larger body of work that explores Nazi architecture in Berlin, Stalinist structures in Moscow, contested sites in Jerusalem, a Cold War bunker in Ottawa, NATO’s Headquarter Camp in Kosovo, and buildings linked to the Japanese Canadian internment during World War II.

To view more photographs, please visit Leslie’s website. lesliehossack.com

Charting Churchill: Admiralty Arch, London

Admiralty Arch, The Mall, London 2014

In October 1911, Winston Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. This was a cabinet post that he relished, and in many ways he had been preparing for it throughout his entire life. In this role, Churchill made many significant decisions in the years leading up to the outbreak of World War I, in August 1914. However, in 1915 he proposed the Dardanelles and Gallipoli campaigns that failed and ultimately lead to his resignation as First Lord of the Admiralty in May 1915.

In 1912, early in Churchill’s tenure at the Admiralty, construction of the Admiralty Arch was completed. King Edward VII commissioned the building in memory of his mother, Queen Victoria. The Latin inscription across the top reads: “In the tenth year of King Edward VII, to Queen Victoria, from most grateful citizens, 1910.” During Churchill’s time, Admiralty Arch contained offices and was connected to the Old Admiralty Building via a bridge that can be seen on the right side of the above photograph. To this day, Admiralty Arch provides a ceremonial entrance from Trafalgar Square onto The Mall and along to Buckingham Palace.

The image featured above is part of the limited edition collector’s portfolio created by Leslie Hossack to mark the 50th anniversary of the death of Sir Winston Churchill. She presents locations that chart Churchill’s personal and political life, from his birth at Blenheim Palace in 1874 until his death in London in 1965. THE CHURCHILL PHOTOGRAPHS are part of Hossack’s larger body of work that explores Nazi architecture in Berlin, Stalinist structures in Moscow, contested sites in Jerusalem, a Cold War bunker in Ottawa, NATO’s Headquarter Camp in Kosovo, and buildings linked to the Japanese Canadian internment during World War II.

To view more photographs, please visit Leslie’s website. lesliehossack.com

Charting Churchill: The Old Admiralty Building, Whitehall, London

Old Admiralty Building, Whitehall, London 2014

Winston Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty on October 25th 1911. He was only 36 years old. This cabinet post brought added responsibilities, opportunities, challenges, influence and status. It also came with an official residence, Admiralty House, which was part of the massive Admiralty complex, seen above from Whitehall. In the spring of 1913, Winston and Clementine, along with their growing family, finally moved into Admiralty House where they lived until May 1915. Sarah Millicent Hermione, their third child, was born here on October 7th 1914, just two months after Great Britain declared war on Germany on August 14th 1914.

From 1911 to 1914, prior to the outbreak of World War I, Churchill worked hard to upgrade the Royal Navy and ready it for war. It was during this time that Winston developed his life-long love of aviation. He took flying lessons and earned the nicknamed The Flying First Lord. After some mishaps, he stopped flying himself, but he did establish the Royal Naval Air Service in preparation for war with Germany.

To view more photographs, please visit Leslie’s website. lesliehossack.com

Charting Churchill: 33 Eccleston Square, London

33 Eccleston Square, London 2014

After their marriage in September 1908, Winston and Clementine Churchill settled into Winston’s townhouse at 12 Bolton Street. However, a few months later, in the spring of 1909, they moved to a larger home at 33 Eccleston Square, shown above. Here their first child, Diana, was born in 1909. In the period of 11 short months, Winston had gone from being a bachelor, to a married man, to a father. In 1911, Churchill’s only son, Randolph, was born at 33 Eccleston Square, where the family lived until 1913.

In addition to these changes in Winston’s personal life, the five years from 1908 to 1913 saw changes in his professional and political life. In 1910, Churchill published The People’s Rights. He also won two elections that year, on January 18th and on December 8th. During the period 1908 to 1913, Winston held three important cabinet posts: President of the Board of Trade from April 12th 1908 until February 18th 1910; Secretary of State for the Home Department from February 14th 1910 until October 25th 1911; and First Lord of the Admiralty commencing October 25th 1911. Churchill, only 36 years old, was ecstatic. This post brought added responsibilities, opportunities, challenges, influence and status. It also came with an official residence. However, Winston and Clementine and the children would remain at 33 Eccleston Square until the spring of 1913 when they finally moved into Admiralty House.

To view more photographs, please visit Leslie’s website. lesliehossack.com