Gifts of Oratory, First Bestowed, Then Wondered Upon

Churchill: The Power of Words at the Morgan Library

            Sir Winston Churchill, with all his wit, with all his power to amuse and rile up the public, was greater still at leading them.  The source of his power, and even, it could be said; the source of his success was his magnificent talent for public speech.  That talent is explored in depth in Churchill: The Power of Words, a new exhibit at the Morgan Library at 36^th and Madison running through September 23^rd.  From his childhood spent with a Brooklyn-born mother and a distant, admired father to his death at age 90 after a lifetime of public service, it is safe to say you can see more of Churchill in one room of the Morgan Library than practically anywhere else.

            Despite having to overcome a speech impediment early in life, Churchill was (as much of the world well knows) one of the greatest speakers of the twentieth century, and perhaps in history.  His gravelly, rumbling voice spoke truths the world could not deny.  As Edward R. Murrow once said, “He mobilized the English language and sent it into battle.”  The exhibition follows Churchill’s development as a soldier, when he wrote numerous books about his experience, through his time as a war hero eventually elected to Parliament, when he really began to hone his speaking ability.  The Power of Words, however, doesn’t just focus on how Churchill speech and speeches became great, it also focuses on Churchill’s finest moments as a warrior, an elected official, and especially a leader.  Here one can see his Nobel Prize in Literature, his honorary American citizenship, and awards recognizing his impact and brilliance.  He is a man who will never be easy to forget.

            The Power of Words is curated beautifully for a space so small.  Artifacts line the walls, each described intricately and satisfyingly.  One of Churchill’s paintings, a magnificent view of a seascape, adorns the section dedicated to his later years.  In the exhibition’s movie theater, a museumgoer can enjoy all of Churchill’s most famous radio speeches, with which the Prime Minister reassured his people during the beginning of the war and the hell of the Blitz.  Everything is laid out simply and majestically, so that the exhibit is easy to enjoy and even easier used as a place of learning. 

The Morgan Library is dedicated to stockpiling information and relics to promote human knowledge, and does so with great success.  Beyond its beautiful architectural façade, the Library hosts thousands of both physical pieces and tidbits of information.  There is no museum better to tackle such a monumental historical figure as Churchill.  At the entrance to the exhibition, the Library even lays out one of Churchill’s pens and a typewriter used by one of his secretaries (almost all of Churchill’s speeches were dictated).

If possible, take the docent-led tour of the exhibit (departing from its entrance every day at 2).  The guides are well-informed and entertaining, and it heightens one’s experience to hear the history both from their and the Library’s points of view.  Travelling through the exhibit with them is much like travelling through Churchill’s life along a straightforward timeline.
           And what a timeline it is!  Churchill was a vastly interesting man and a symbol of hope and strength during one of England’s most difficult periods.  Among the confusion of a world war, Churchill remained a powerful and patriotic Prime Minister both at home and abroad.  Retaining just as much of a connection to America as to England, Churchill could be said to be the uniting factor between the new and the old worlds, bringing them together to fight the good fight and bring the world forth into a newer, brighter age.