American History: Premier Auction

Silver gelatin photograph, 9.875 x 8 in. (including margin), capturing a handshake between Lieutenant Generals George S. Patton and Alexander M. Patch on December 4, 1944 in Sarrebourg, France. Patch holds a pair of glasses in his left hand, while Patton carries a Colt Detective Special. Photograph is signed in black ink by both men: "G.S. Patton Jr." and "Alexander Patch."

Four-star US Army General George Patton (1909-1945) commanded the US 7th Army in the Mediterranean and European theaters of World War II. He is best known for leading the US 3rd Army in France and Germany following the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944. General Alexander Patch (1889-1945) gained control of the US 7th Army, which took part in Operation Dragoon, the invasion of southern France, on August 15, 1944. The two men met in September 1944, near Dijon, France, when the 3rd Army joined up with the 7th Army.