Large color semi-glossy 12.5 x 16.5 photographic print of Nelson Mandela raising a fist following his release from Victor Verster Prison on February 11, 1990, signed and inscribed in black felt tip to Mark Peters, the photographer who captured this iconic image—"To Mark, best wishes, N. Mandela, 10. 7. 2000.” The print is affixed to a same-size piece of foamcore, with the reverse signed in black ballpoint by Peters. In fine condition, with two tiny surface dents in the upper left corner. The consignor notes that this is one of just four prints that Mandela signed: one was presented to Mandela; another was won at a 2000 Cape Town auction by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh; and a third was sold at a charity auction in 2008.
Accompanied by a signed certificate of authenticity from Peters, who recounts how he came to take the first published photograph of Mandela as a free man: "As a photographer who had spent the last decade photographing unrest and violence in South African townships for Newsweek magazine, the historic day of Mandela's release had finally put in an appearance…On the day of Mr. Mandela's release and due to gridlocked traffic I arrived late at a police roadblock that was set up about 1 kilometer from the prison gates.
"Exiting my car I approached the white police captain and asked for permission to pass through the roadblock. He declined my request and informed me that a large crowd of over 200 media representatives had already gone through and orders were given—no more people to enter. I extended my arm toward the captain and said: 'Congratulations captain, you have won the war between you and me.' 'What war?' he replied. I answered him: 'I have photographed you shooting blacks, killing blacks, forcibly removing blacks while you did your apartheid thing. On the other hand you have smashed my cameras, confiscated my film, beaten me and, worst of all, blown up my brand new car.' The captain looked at me with a smile on his face and said: 'Mark Peters, a signal has just come over the radio that Mandela will be walking out of the prison gates in 10 minutes. Why don't you get into my police van and you and I go witness history.'
"At the prison gates the air was electric as Nelson Mandela walked through the prison gates. I raised my camera and made three frames as Mandela raised his arm in triumph. Driving back to Cape Town at high speed I was the first photographer to arrive at the Associated Press office. After I processed my film and saw my image was in focus I offered the image to the awaiting photo editor free, as long as he transmitted the photo to the Newsweek office in New York. He agreed and the first photo of Nelson Mandela as a free man was transmitted across the world. As for me, I got the cover of Newsweek [which] was the first magazine in the world to have Mandela on its cover and I had scored my first world exclusive."
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