Unusually Large Photograph of the Japanese Surrender, Signed and Inscribed by the U.S. Signatory Admiral Chester Nimitz For a Member of the Marine Corp

World War II came to an end on September 2, 1945, on board the USS Missouri. General Douglas MacArthur made an introductory statement and then directed the representatives of Japan to sign the two Instruments of Surrender, one each for the Allied and Japanese governments. At 9:04 AM, Foreign Minister Shigemitsu signed, followed two minutes later by General Umezu. General MacArthur then instructed the Allied delegations to sign, first Fleet Admiral Nimitz as United States representative, then the representatives of China, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, Australia, Canada, France, The Netherlands and New Zealand. All signatures were in place by 9:22. Following a few brief concluding remarks by MacArthur, the ceremonies concluded at 9:25. 

 

Nimitz was Fleet Admiral and Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Naval forces in the Pacific in World War II, and was largely responsible for the successful island-hopping campaign against the Japanese that brought the war to a successful conclusion. A photographer enshrined the very moment that Nimitz signed for the United States, and after the war, Nimitz would sometimes autograph copies of that famous photograph. Most of the photographs Nimitz signed are small.  This piece, however, is not. 

 

A 13 1/2” x 10” remarkably large, oversize signed photograph of the execution of the Instruments of Surrender, signed and inscribed by Nimitz "To Gunnery Sergeant Jack N. McDonald, USMC – with best wishes – C. W. Nimitz, Fleet Admiral, U.S. Navy.” Acquired from the descendants of the recipient and never before offered for sale.

 

Nimitz’s aide used to say that the admiral signed these souvenir photographs with the same pen he used to sign the surrender document. A scarce photograph in this large size – the largest we have ever seen – and a meaningful memento of the end of World War II.