A superb original 1986 black-and-white press photograph of Roald Dahl, measuring 20.3 × 25.4 cm, showing the author beside a wartime aircraft.
This is an exceptionally evocative image because it dates from precisely the period in which Dahl published Going Solo, his autobiographical account of his years in Africa and his service as an RAF fighter pilot during the Second World War. The Roald Dahl Museum records Going Solo as a direct continuation of Boy, covering Dahl’s early adult life and wartime flying experiences.
Importantly, this exact photograph has been independently identified.
The Guardian subsequently reproduced the same image, describing it as:
“Roald Dahl in 1986”
and crediting:
ITV/Rex.
This is therefore not simply an unidentified old photograph which has subsequently been attributed to Dahl.
The reverse carries a contemporary newspaper archive stamp dated:
9 OCT 1986
Going Solo had been published by Jonathan Cape that year; an uncorrected publisher’s proof gives a provisional publication date of 11 September 1986.
The timing becomes even more interesting because the Washington Post published its review of Going Solo on 8 October 1986 — the day immediately before this photograph was entered into the archive. A New York Times review followed on 12 October.
Combined with the prominent wartime aircraft in the photograph, this makes contemporary Going Solo publicity a highly plausible context for the image.
The original caption is unfortunately no longer retained on this particular print, so we have not claimed categorically that it was commissioned specifically to promote the book.
Before becoming one of the world’s most famous children’s writers, Dahl served as an RAF pilot during the Second World War. Going Solo recounts his flying training, combat service and the aircraft crash in the Western Desert in which he was seriously injured.
The aircraft backdrop therefore gives this photograph considerable biographical significance.
By 1986 Dahl had already written many of the books that established his extraordinary international reputation with children, including Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, Fantastic Mr Fox, The Twits, The BFG and The Witches. His publication chronology places Going Solo in 1986 and Matilda two years later in 1988.
Very good condition overall.
The image remains sharp and strongly contrasted, with excellent facial detail and an atmospheric aircraft background.
There is light general age toning, minor surface and handling wear and modest edge and corner wear.
The reverse retains the 9 October 1986 archive date, manuscript newsroom measurements and remnants of former caption or mounting material.
Please examine both photographs carefully as they form part of the description.
Subject: Roald Dahl
Date: 1986
Archive date: 9 October 1986
Image credit: ITV/Rex
Literary association: Going Solo
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Provenance: Shields Gazette photographic archive
Size: 20.3 × 25.4 cm
Format: Original black-and-white press photograph
Modern reproduction: No
Handled, inspected and catalogued in-house at Hornseys.
The photograph’s period status is supported by its contemporary newspaper archive date, while this exact image is independently documented as an ITV/Rex photograph of Roald Dahl dating from 1986.
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