[78-L] Autographs

[Jeff Sultanof]

My understanding is that an autograph on a piece of paper is not as valuable
as an autograph on a legal document of some type.

Some years ago when it was discovered that the Warner Bros. Secaucus, NJ
warehouse had hundreds of pages of Kern, Gershwin, Porter and many other
manuscripts (including orchestrations from the Princess Theatre shows), we
who worked there heard that there were other boxes that had other treasures.
One day a WB executive (whose name I will not reveal) came to the NY office
with piles of checks that he showed us. Imagine hundreds of checks dating
from 1921-22 made out to Jerome Kern, George Gershwin and Victor Herbert and
which had been endorsed by these men. My boss and I were in near shock at
the sheer importance of this find, as well as the dollar value these
handfuls of checks were worth on the open market.

P.S. - I never did find out what happened to them, and I don't ever remember
hearing that they were donated to the Library of Congress along with most of
the other manuscripts.

Someday when I am old, I will write about my take on the "Secaucus find."
Too many people still alive (although one of the dramatis personae, John
McGlinn, died not long ago).

Jeff Sultanof

On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 5:21 PM, Taylor Bowie <bowiebks at isomedia.com> wrote:

> The Bowlly is not as rare as you might think.  When he was over here with
> the Noble band at The Rainbow Room he signed lots and lots of these
> sepia-tone head shots.  Last one I sold some five years ago was around
> $250.
>
> The Fox with the drawing is more rare,  but of less value,  no doubt.
>
> As a rule,  signed pieces of paper,  pages in autograph albums,  etc.  do
> not fetch the kind of money you'd get for a fine photo or a signed letter
> with some good content.
>
> If you can send me scans of them,  I'll give you my "take' on them.
>
> Taylor
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Lennick" <dlennick at sympatico.ca>
> To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 2:12 PM
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Autographs
>
>
> > Years ago, someone sent me three pages of autographs of the members of
> > British
> > dance bands. One of them is accompanied by a letter on BBC stationery,
> > dated
> > around 1932. Roy Fox draws a fox..Al Bowlly is on one of the pages. Would
> > it be
> > difficult to authenticate these? And will I be able to retire?
> >
> > dl
> >
> > Taylor Bowie wrote:
> >> Perhaps in later years....the Goodman sigs I've had pass through my
> hands
> >> were earlier and legit.
> >>
> >> One show biz figure who was legendary for sending out secretarial sigs
> >> was
> >> John Wayne.  It is almost impossible to get a legit Jean Harlow signed
> >> photo,  as nearly all those sent out were signed by her mother.
> >>
> >> I have seen many secretarial signatures over the years for all manner of
> >> celebrities and political figures.  Usually,  the recipient is so
> pleased
> >> to
> >> get something that they never bother to verify that the signature is
> >> actually good.
> >>
> >> I recall about twenty years ago that I was asked to appraise an
> inscribed
> >> photo of President Kennedy,  which had been sent by him to a very well
> >> known
> >> Ohio politician.  I can still see the expression on the daughter's face
> >> when
> >> I had to tell her that one of her Dad's proudest possessions had been
> >> signed
> >> by one of Kennedy's secretaries.
> >>
> >> My point is...these fakes are nearly always easy to tell when put along
> >> side
> >> and compared with  a real one.
> >>
> >> Taylor
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Jeff Sultanof" <jeffsultanof at gmail.com>
> >> To: "78-L Mail List" <78-l at klickitat.78online.com>
> >> Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 1:53 PM
> >> Subject: Re: [78-L] More on Shaw
> >>
> >>
> >>> Russ Connor says as much in his introduction to "Wrappin' it Up," the
> >>> supplement to his Goodman discography, that he or Goodman's secretary
> >>> would
> >>> sign Goodman's name. I wish I had the book in front of me so I could
> >>> supply
> >>> a page number.
> >>>
> >>> Jeff Sultanof
> >>>
> >>>> This is the first I've heard about any secretarial or other illegit
> >>>> Goodman
> >>>> autographs...in my years in the rare book trade, I've handled many,
> >>>> including ones I bought from Russ Connor,  and have never found one
> >>>> which
> >>>> was no good.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>> _______________
> >>
> >
> > _______________________________________________
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> >
>
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