Collecting Historical Autographs

Collecting Historical Autographs
Author: Ron Keurajian
Publisher: McFarland
Total Pages: 416
Release: 2016-11-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 1476624283

Collecting autographs is a time-honored avocation that has exploded in popularity in recent years, creating a new industry with millions of autographed items for sale online. Coveted signatures include those of United States presidents, Civil War officers, World War II heroes, classical music composers and baseball stars. It has been estimated that 90 percent of historical autographs on the market today are forgeries. This book is a definitive guide to signature authentication for experts and beginners alike. Numerous illustrations of both genuine and forged signatures are included, from Ty Cobb to Abraham Lincoln to Isaac Newton to Neil Armstrong. Detailed descriptions of common forgeries are given, enabling collectors to make direct comparisons.

The Hunt for History

The Hunt for History
Author: Nathan Raab
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2020-03-10
Genre: History
ISBN: 1501198920

Nathan Raab, America’s preeminent rare documents dealer, delivers a “diverting account of treasure hunting in the fast lane” (The Wall Street Journal) that recounts his years as the Sherlock Holmes of historical artifacts, questing after precious finds and determining their authenticity. A box uncovered in a Maine attic with twenty letters written by Alexander Hamilton; a handheld address to Congress by President George Washington; a long-lost Gold Medal that belonged to an American President; a note that Winston Churchill wrote to his captor when he was a young POW in South Africa; paperwork signed and filled out by Amelia Earhart when she became the first woman to fly the Atlantic; an American flag carried to the moon and back by Neil Armstrong; an unpublished letter written by Albert Einstein, discussing his theory of relativity. Each day, people from all over the world contact Nathan Raab for help understanding what they have, what it might be worth, and how to sell it. The Raab Collection’s president, Nathan is a modern-day treasure hunter and one of the world’s most prominent dealers of historical artifacts. Most weeks, he travels the country, scours auctions, or fields phone calls and emails from people who think they may have found something of note in a grandparent’s attic. In The Hunt for History, “Raab takes us on a wild hunt and deliciously opens up numerous hidden crevices of history” (Jay Winik, author of April 1865)—spotting a letter from British officials that secured the Rosetta Stone; discovering a piece of the first electric cable laid by Edison; restoring a fragmented letter from Andrew Jackson that led to the infamous Trail of Tears; and locating copies of missing audio that had been recorded on Air Force One as the plane brought JFK’s body back to Washington. Whether it’s the first report of Napoleon’s death or an unpublished letter penned by Albert Einstein to a curious soldier, every document and artifact Raab uncovers comes with a spellbinding story—and often offers new insights into a life we thought we knew.

The Autograph Hound

The Autograph Hound
Author: John Lahr
Publisher: Open Road Media
Total Pages: 204
Release: 2013-01-22
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1453288767

DIVHailed as a “tour de force” by the New York Times, this irresistible novel captures John Lahr’s madcap genius /divDIV Meet Benny Walsh: busboy at the Homestead restaurant in New York City by day, compulsive autograph hunter by night. Known for going to extraordinary lengths for a much-coveted signature, Benny is also tangled up with an actress and fellow autograph hound named Gloria, and drawn into an embittered battle with his archenemy, a headwaiter with a grudge. Lahr’s acclaimed debut novel captures one wild week in Benny’s life. It is an introduction to a brilliantly drawn and determined character who will stay with you long after the final page./div

My Faraway One

My Faraway One
Author: Sarah Greenough
Publisher: Yale University Press
Total Pages: 834
Release: 2011-06-21
Genre: Literary Collections
ISBN: 0300166303

Collects the private correspondence between Georgia O'Keeffe and Alfred Stieglitz, revealing the ups and downs of their marriage, their thoughts on their work, and their friendships with other artists.