INDEPENDENCE, MO.- For the first time in 50 years, Harry Truman and Winston Churchill are together again. The Truman Presidential Museum & Library just opened the Library of Congress exhibition Churchill and the Great Republic. The exhibition, which runs through October 15, 2006, examines the life and career of Winston Spencer Churchill (1874-1965) and emphasizes his lifelong links with the United States-the nation he called "the great republic."

Churchill and Truman liked each other. Harry Truman-who had little good to say about many of his contemporaries-called Winston Churchill "the greatest public figure of our time." For his part, the British Prime Minister summed up his admiration for the American President by saying, "He's a man of immense determination. He takes no notice of delicate ground. He just plants his foot down firmly on it." Later, Churchill would credit Truman with saving Western civilization.

Because of the intertwined destinies of these two venerated statesmen-both in ending World War II and fighting Soviet communism-the Truman Library offers a rich and dramatic setting for Churchill and the Great Republic.

Organized by the Library of Congress in cooperation with the Churchill Archives Centre in Cambridge, U.K., this exhibition showcases the remarkable holdings of both institutions. A number of items on display are newly uncovered and receiving their first public viewings. Included in the exhibition are letters, documents, photographs, prints, books, maps, newspaper clippings, and three-dimensional artifacts. Video and audio stations are also featured. The Truman Library is one of only four venues hosting the exhibition.

"We are delighted to showcase this remarkable exhibition," said Clay Bauske, museum curator of the Truman Library. "It reminds us that, although their backgrounds could not have been more different, Winston Churchill and Harry Truman shared a bond forged by their determination to prevail in a global war and to build a stable post-war world."

Exhibition Highlights
Comprised of six major sections, the exhibition covers Churchill's life and achievements from his birth on November 30, 1874, in Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, England, to his death on January 24, 1965, in London. Throughout, the installation features Churchill's words and ideas, written and spoken. Audio stations featuring speeches by Churchill, along with an introductory film, bring to life this extraordinary individual. Among the letters, political posters and cartoons, photographs, and other objects on display are:

A letter from 7-year-old Winston to his mother, one of the earliest known writings of Winston Churchill.
Reward Poster for Churchill's capture. On the night of December 12, 1899, the 25-year-old war correspondent escaped from Boer captivity by climbing over the wall of the States Model School in Pretoria, South Africa, where he was held prisoner.
Personal and affectionate correspondence between Winston and Clementine. They closed their letters with simple drawings depicting their pet names for one another-he was her "pug" and she his "cat."
Audio-recordings of Churchill's "Finest Hour" address, his "Iron Curtain" speech, and more.
Telegram written in reaction to the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Photographs of and correspondence between Harry S. Truman and Winston Churchill, who enjoyed a close personal rapport and often exchanged handwritten letters, addressing one another as "Harry" and "Winston."
Order of service for the funeral of Winston Churchill. Queen Elizabeth, in a rare tribute to a commoner, accorded him a state funeral. Among Churchill's favorite hymns sung at the service was Julia Ward Howe's magnificent song from the American Civil War, "The Battle Hymn of the Republic."