Winston Churchill

Craig_From_Cincy · Post by **Craig_From_Cincy** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 10:10 pm

I'm watching the movie "Into The storm", the BBC/HBO production that's a followup to their movie "The Gathering Storm". It focuses on Churchill during The War Years. In it there's a scene of Churchill shaving with a safety razor, his face covered in a thin-ish layer of lather.

You can watch the scene here, starting at 8:06:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Tjk9ur0 ... re=related

This got me wondering, what shaving products did Churchill use? Of course Churchill is known to have worn Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet Cologne, and I seem to recall a thread here on SMF about Churchill shaving with a Rolls Razor or a Valet Auto Strop. Googling turns up claims that Churchill used Truefitt creams, which is believable as T&H has provided the grooming needs of the British Monarchs since George III, as well as for many members of the nobility.

Might any of our resident historians know what shaving & grooming products Churchill actually used?

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 11:13 pm

Craig, Well, I did a post several years ago in which I mentioned that Churchill did shave himself, and that he used a Valet safety razor, at least that is what he was using during the early WWII years. We know this because his son specifically named it when he described talking with Winston in his bedroom about the war situation while the PM was shaving. Beyond that, I don't know for certain. You mentioned Penhaligon's Blenheim Bouquet scent, and I'm sure we've all read that claim in their literature. I have no reason to doubt it and Bargepole says that Prince Philip currently does likewise as he claims to have been personally close enough to tell. Where did you get the bit about Churchill specifically using T&H shaving cream? I don't think I've ever read that one. It's certainly not unlikely. Floris claims that he bought their Rose Geranium bath soap for years and Trumper has made some vague allusions to the great statesman having been a customer. The truth is probably that Churchill patronized all these firms, and Atkinsons and Yardley as well, for different items and services over the period of his long life. But as to the specifics, hard information seems in scant supply. I've read two in depth biographies of Churchill but in neither one did the author see fit to include this information.
Regards,
Gordon

Craig_From_Cincy · Post by **Craig_From_Cincy** » Thu Jul 07, 2011 11:40 pm

Gordon,

I encountered the following statement about Grafton Shave Cream on the T&H website:

One of Truefitt & Hill’ s lightest fragrant shave creams. Grafton, like all of Truefitt & Hill shave creams is glycerin-based, and a perfect blend of all seasons. Also, a favorite of Sir Winston Churchill when he was a regular at our London shop.

http://www.truefittandhill.com/detail_00029__4.html

I also found that claim on other websites after doing a Google search for Churchill & shaving. I know that some of these companies are known to tell 'tall tales' about the history of their products, but hopefully T&H wouldn't tell a blatant lie considering their position as purveyors to the Royal household.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:01 am

Craig, I'm afraid that that one is an...er...fib. The old T&H UK website stated specifically that Grafton was created in the 1980s at the suggestion of a naval officer client of theirs....and it's obviously a pretty 'modern' style scent. And, the shave cream in that scent came along considerably after the cologne & aftershave. My old simple paper catalogue from T&H that I got in the '90s listed only almond and rose for shave cream options.
Regards,
Gordon

Teiste · Post by **Teiste** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:33 am

I wonder how his arch enemy,Adolf Hitler,used for shaving.
Thanks for the interesting info,gents.

Craig_From_Cincy · Post by **Craig_From_Cincy** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:33 am

That outright lie on T&H's part is simply unnacceptable. I knew the Grafton scent was a modern (in a bad way) one, but I assumed that they had reformulated the scent somewhere along the line. Do these marketeers have no shame??

Drubbing · Post by **Drubbing** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:55 am

Craig_From_Cincy wrote:Do these marketeers have no shame??

No. Give it a month and they'll be saying the News of The World was a quality newspaper.

Craig_From_Cincy · Post by **Craig_From_Cincy** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 12:57 am

Bonus points for anyone who can identify that obviously vintage safety razor used in the linked clip!

franz · Post by **franz** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 1:48 am

Drubbing wrote: No. Give it a month and they'll be saying the News of The World was a quality newspaper.

Aye, died before its time...

Aztecface · Post by **Aztecface** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 6:57 am

At Trumper's(in one of the stalls) there is a picture of Winston sitting down preparing to be shaved.

ScottB · Post by **ScottB** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 9:10 am

Lets see, yes William Manchester gives a mention in The Last Lion, William Spencer Churchill Alone 1932-1940:

First, the description of his valet is pretty fun:

"Churchill's man is called David Inches by the rest of the household, and like his master is considered eccentric, "a tremendous character", in the words of Grace Hamblin, Winston's chief secretary, "always overworked, always perspiring, sometimes drunk!"."

And the short mention of his shaving routine:

"Rising, he moves toward the bathroom with an alacrity surprising for his age and weight and quickly shaves himself with a safety razor while his valet draws the first of his two daily baths."

Martin Gilbert does not mention Churchill's shaving at all though he describes many other personal habits.

Scott

jww · Post by **jww** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:07 am

I loved both Manchester's volumes on Churchill -- sad that he passed away before he could complete the next couple of volumes as Alone ends with much more story left to tell.

I remember reading and re-reading the reference to Churchill's shaving -- and even called it out to my wife at the time.

She claimed that I had a severe ailment.

SmallTank · Post by **SmallTank** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 10:28 am

Teiste wrote:I wonder how his arch enemy,Adolf Hitler,used for shaving.
Thanks for the interesting info,gents.

Maybe he used a 39c...custom with Nazi crap on it

ScottB · Post by **ScottB** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 11:15 am

jww wrote:I loved both Manchester's volumes on Churchill -- sad that he passed away before he could complete the next couple of volumes as Alone ends with much more story left to tell.

I remember reading and re-reading the reference to Churchill's shaving -- and even called it out to my wife at the time.

She claimed that I had a severe ailment.

Manchester left me wanting to learn more. Ending the book with Churchill being made PM is one of literatures great cliffhangers. Beyond that time I found that Churchill's own "The Second World War" filled in nicely the details of his WWII service though one must read 6 volumes.

Scott

Racso_MS · Post by **Racso_MS** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 2:19 pm

It mentions Hitler Shaving on the far right side in the second paragraph.

JayTrek · Post by **JayTrek** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 4:55 pm

Wendell...my wife thinks all the time that I have a mental ailment.

jww wrote:I loved both Manchester's volumes on Churchill -- sad that he passed away before he could complete the next couple of volumes as Alone ends with much more story left to tell.

I remember reading and re-reading the reference to Churchill's shaving -- and even called it out to my wife at the time.

She claimed that I had a severe ailment.

Teiste · Post by **Teiste** » Fri Jul 08, 2011 5:33 pm

Racso_MS wrote:It mentions Hitler Shaving on the far right side in the second paragraph.

Oscar:

thanks a lot for the article!It was really interesting to read it.

Ouchmychin · Post by **Ouchmychin** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 10:36 am

After I got hooked on the cologne rotation process here, my wife accused me of joining a bunch of gays.

bernards66 · Post by **bernards66** » Sat Jul 09, 2011 11:08 pm

Oscar, Interesting piece. The "gold plated razor" was a custom made Gillette DE ( in the '20s and '30s Gillette had a special workroom where they did custom work ). I don't remember where I read this, but I distinctly recall that I did. I think the razor he kept at Bergesgarten was filched by one of the American GIs when they occupied the place.
Regards,
Gordon

fallingwickets · Post by **fallingwickets** » Sun Jul 10, 2011 3:51 am

Thanks oscar

clive

ps nice to see you out and about