“That's a great play, Mr. Zangwill, that's a great play.”—President Theodore Roosevelt
Collect this rare signature from Israel Zangwill, influential author, playwright, and journalist, whose work has been credited, notably, with influencing President Theodore Roosevelt.
Israel Zangwill’s signature comes mounted in a framed display, along with an antique silver and black portrait of Zangwill.
With a framed size measuring 14-3/4” in height x 17-3/4” width, both the signature and portrait are presented within double-layer matting, in textural woven silk for the outer mat, and two insets of black, white-core matting. The stately traditional-style frame is silver, chosen to complement the portrait.
Israel Zangwill’s signature has been examined and authenticated by James Spence Authentication (JSA), and the piece comes with a certificate of authenticity from JSA.
ISRAEL ZANGWILL (1864–1926) was a British author at the forefront of cultural Zionism during the 19th century, and was a close associate of Theodor Herzl. He later rejected the search for a Jewish homeland in Palestine and became the prime thinker behind the territorial movement, which sought to find a an alternative territory to that of the Land of Israel, which was preferred by the Zionist movement, for the creation of a Jewish homeland.
A writer of stories, plays, novels and essays, Zangwill was also a journalist, initiating and editing a journal in London, and working widely for the London press. Several of Israel Zangwill’s plays were produced on Broadway, and many of his works were adapted for film.
Zangwill’s influential play The Melting Pot, a great success in the United States, popularized the use of the metaphorical phrase "melting pot" to describe American absorption of immigrants. When The Melting Pot opened in Washington D.C. on 5 October 1909, former President Theodore Roosevelt leaned over the edge of his box and shouted, “That's a great play, Mr. Zangwill, that's a great play.” In 1912, Zangwill received a letter from Roosevelt in which Roosevelt wrote of The Melting Pot, “That particular play I shall always count among the very strong and real influences upon my thought and my life.”
“The Melting Pot celebrated America's capacity to absorb and grow from the contributions of its immigrants.” Zangwill’s hope “was for a world in which the entire lexicon of racial and religious difference is thrown away.”