HENRY KISSINGER (1923–2023)

An original American issue of TIME magazine dated February 7, 1972, featuring Henry Kissinger on the cover beneath the headline “Nixon’s Secret Agent.” Vol. 99 No. 6 appeared while Kissinger was serving as President Richard Nixon’s National Security Adviser and occupying a central position in the formation of U.S. foreign policy. The magazine is not signed.

The cover is directly associated with a defining period in Kissinger’s diplomatic career. TIME’s principal feature, “The Pursuit of Peace and Power,” examined his secret diplomatic missions and negotiations undertaken on behalf of the Nixon administration. By 1972, Kissinger had emerged as one of the most influential figures in American foreign policy; he subsequently served as U.S. Secretary of State from 1973 to 1977.

The composition incorporates the original 1972 TIME issue with its historic cover preserved as the central element. Presented against a deep black ground in an artist-designed presentation, the magazine is complemented by restrained framing and a separate plaque bearing Kissinger’s statement, “Power is the ultimate aphrodisiac.” Natural signs of age are consistent with the character of an original periodical more than half a century old.

Bringing together original American journalism from the Nixon era and the image of one of the twentieth century’s most prominent diplomats, the work has particular relevance to collections focused on diplomacy, international relations, American political history, and landmark TIME covers.