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This lot offers the professionally framed original personal photo of Ernesto Che Guevara and his chief of staff Jose Manuel Manresa Monzon shown in the corresponding image. Ernesto "Che" Guevara (June 14, 1928 - October 9, 1967) commonly known as Che Guevara, El Che, or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, military theorist, and major figure of the Cuban Revolution. Since his death, his stylized visage has become a ubiquitous countercultural symbol and global insignia within popular culture.

The first meeting between Che Guevara and Manresa occured in January 1959 in one of the barrack offices of La Cabana (an 18th century fortress used as a military prison during the Batista dictatorship). Paco Ignacio Taibo II in his book "Guevara Also Known as Che" describes the scene as follows: "Che found a sargeant behind a typewriter. He asked him "Did you take part in the fighting? No, I'm an office worker. Have you tortured anyone? The man shook his head. Che asked him if he could type. He nodded. He thus struck up a friendship with Jose Manual Manresa that was to last for the next five years."(p. 260). Jon Lee Anderson, the author of what has become the standard biography of Che Guevara, notes the importance of this relationship in understanding Guevara and the role he played in the Cuban revolution: "Yet, far from being sectarian, he dealt respectfully with many of the defeated former army officers at La Cabana during the transition to rebel army control - even as he sent others to die before the firing squad. To his new secretary Jose Manuel Manresa, who had been the former army commander's personal typist, Che's request that he stay on and work for him was an act of faith for which Manresa was eternally grateful, and he remained at Che's side devotedly throughout his time in Cuba." ("Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life" p. 412).

The photo captures the two men standing side by side, with thoughtful expressions, possibly engaged in conversation. They are dressed in winter clothes, suggesting that this picture was perhaps taken abroad, possibly during a visit to the Soviet Union or China. This photo offers an uncommon image of Che Guevara, as he looks somewhat aged or fatigued in this picture. One could venture to say that this is an image from last part of this stay in Cuba. This is a unique matted picture with protective glass that hung in the Manresa home in Cuba. The photo is mounted on board within the frame. The material in this lot is accompanied by provenance to establish authenticity, in the form of copies of a letter signed by Manresa's son and and the original export certificate issued by the Cuban government. The frame, professionally done with acid-free and archival materials, measures 35" x 32". To inspect and acquire more detailed information about this lot, please attend our live preview before the auction. Shipping cost (within the U.S.) for this lot will be: $59.50