William D. Leahy and Carl Josef von Zelewski (sp?) inscribed photograph [unframed]
Annapolis? 1953. Photograph [unframed]. Matt outer measurement is approximately 13 inches by 11.5 inches. Inner measurement is approximately 10.25 inches by 7.25 inches. The black and white photograph is approximately 10.25 inches by 8 inches, taped all around to the back of the matt. Matt has minor soiling. The back of the photograph has "Von Zelewski & Admiral Leahy Fleet Admiral U.S.N. written in ink. The image has von Zelewski standing to the left, Fleet Admiral Leahy is in the center, and both are looking at a bust of Matthew C. Perry. Signed across the chest and shoulder of the white bust is "William D. Leahy, Fleet Admiral U.S. N. Carl Josef von Zelewski Apr. 1953." The photograph may have been taken at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The bust was the work of E. D. Palmer. Erastus Dow Palmer (April 2, 1817 – March 9, 1904) was an American sculptor. Palmer started by carving portraits in cameo, and earned the encouragement of Thomas R. Walker, a local art patron in Utica, who introduced him to prominent artists in New York City. By 1849, Palmer had transitioned from cameo-cutting to large-scale sculpture. He worked in a neoclassical style. Palmer mounted an exhibition of twelve of his sculptures, known as "the Palmer Marbles," at the National Academy of Design in 1856. His major works include The White Captive (1858) in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Peace in Bondage (1863), Angel at the Sepulchre (1865), in Albany, New York, a bronze statue of Chancellor Robert R. Livingston (1874), in Statuary Hall, Capitol, Washington, D.C., and many portrait busts. Fleet Admiral William Daniel Leahy (May 6, 1875 – July 20, 1959) was an American naval officer who served as the senior-most United States military officer on active duty during World War II. He held multiple titles and was at the center of all major military decisions the United States made in World War II. As Chief of Naval Operations from 1937 to 1939, he was the senior officer in the United States Navy, overseeing the preparations for war. After retiring from the Navy, he was appointed in 1939 by his close friend President Franklin D. Roosevelt as Governor of Puerto Rico. In his most controversial role, he served as the United States Ambassador to France 1940–42, but had limited success in keeping the Vichy government free of German control. Leahy was recalled to active duty as the personal Chief of Staff to President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1942 and served in that position throughout World War II. He chaired the Chiefs of Staff and was a major decision-maker during the war. He continued under President Harry S. Truman until finally retiring in 1949. From 1942 until his retirement in 1949, he was the highest-ranking active duty member of the U.S. military, reporting only to the President. He was the United States' first de facto Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and he also presided over the American delegation to the Combined Chiefs of Staff, when the American and British staffs worked together. As fleet admiral, Leahy was the first U.S. naval officer ever to hold a five-star rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. USS Leahy (DLG-16) was named in his honor, as is Leahy Hall, the U.S. Naval Academy admissions office. Condition: Very good.
Keywords: William D. Leahy, Fleet Admiral, Photograph, Autograph, Chief of Staff, Chief of Naval Operations, Ambassador, Governor, Franklin Roosevelt, White House, Matthew Perry, von Zelewski
[Book #83179]
Price: $1,000.00