8月16日,，波士頓RR拍賣行的一次拍賣中,，出自英國前首相溫斯頓·丘吉爾的兩支羅密歐與朱麗葉雪茄拍出了5500美元的價格。
歷史上很少有名人比丘吉爾更能體現(xiàn)出對雪茄的精神和激情，他總是隨身攜帶幾支雪茄,，在某些場合，也會贈送給別人,。拍賣會上這兩支雪茄就是瑪麗女王號跨越大西洋航行期間的贈品,。丘吉爾將這兩支雪茄連同一張簽名照片贈送給移民局官員威爾弗雷德·查爾默斯（Wilfred Chalmers）。這位移民局官員一直保存著這兩支雪茄和簽名照片,。
這兩支羅密歐與朱麗葉的狀態(tài)相差比較大,，一支長4.75英寸，裝在鋁管里,。另一支長6.5英寸,，破損相對嚴(yán)重。
除了雪茄和簽名照片,，拍賣品還包括了威爾弗雷德·查爾默斯的兒子出具的證明信,，他還提供了父親本人的照片。在航空業(yè)繁榮之前,，乘坐瑪麗女王號是往返英國和美國之間的主要交通方式,。在抵達英國南安普頓前，移民局官員要對乘客進行證件檢查。威爾弗雷德·查爾默斯給丘吉爾留下了深刻的印象,，丘吉爾贈送了他雪茄和簽名照片,。
目前還不知道這次旅行的具體時間，據(jù)悉,，在二戰(zhàn)期間,，丘吉爾曾經(jīng)三次乘坐瑪麗女王號穿越大西洋。
There are few figures in history who embodied the spirit and passion of cigar smoking more than Sir Winston Churchill. The revered statesman always had a cigar (or several) on his person—and occasionally, he’d give them away. This is apparently what happened during a trans-Atlantic voyage aboard RMS Queen Mary. Churchill not only gifted a pair of Romeo y Julietas to a first-class immigration officer, but a signed photo as well. Understanding the magnitude of the gift, the officer held on to the two smokes and the picture, all of which sold at an auction in a single lot for $5,500 on August 16.
Along with the cigars and the picture, the auction lot included a letter of provenance from the son of the original recipient as well as a photograph of two unidentified men, one of whom is likely the immigration officer in question. The letter adds welcomed context to the artifacts. It was noted that this ocean liner was the primary method for travel between the United Kingdom and United States before the aviation boom. Before arrival to Southampton, England, passengers would need to be “processed” by the immigration officers, which is evidently where the officer, referred to as Wilfred Chalmers in the letter, received the cigars and picture after impressing Churhchill with his service.
It’s not clear when exactly this voyage took place, however, according to the International Churchill Society, Sir Winston crossed the Atlantic aboard the RMS Queen Mary three times during World War II.
The two Romeo y Julietas are quite paradoxical to one another. The smaller cigar, measuring 4 3/4 inches long, comes housed in its original Romeo y Julieta tubo and remains in remarkable condition. Its companion, 6 1/2 inches in length, has seen better days, displaying clear signs of wear and tear.
Other items from the recent Fine Autograph and Artifacts auction by RR Auction included a band-signed vinyl of Queen’s 1973 self-titled debut album (sold for $39,178), a Hollywood autograph collection featuring over 6,500 signatures (sold for $124,781) and a handwritten letter by Marie Antoinette to an Austrian ambassador (sold for $18,750). To see more, visit rrauction.com.
