The Letters

     Lately I've been working on a very interesting line of study:  

     Signatures. Autographs. Letters. And such.

     Famous (and infamous) celebrity signatures go for WAY more than you would think. Many times these are clipped from letters, or scribbled on cards. They're interesting. And salable.

     But the real value, if you can find them, is on letters and notes -- especially those that reference places, people and events in these people's lives. A peek into their writing feels a bit strange, yet exciting...like a conversation you're accidentally overhearing. 

     I research paper ephemera on Ebay -- in part to keep appraising skills current. But I also am intrigued by what's showing up on the market from people, past and present.

Like Charles Dickens. 

     I've rattled on about Charley before; you know that if you've been reading this blog for a while. His work was the main subject of my Master's paper at the University of Michigan, and I've continued to read his books -- and books about him -- since then. 

     Dickens signatures average $700-900 on Ebay lately, with letters (bland ones) triple or quadruple that. I really could not see paying good money for just an autograph... or even worse, an envelope in his writing, but no signature. 

     Then this came onto Ebay: a 1906 Dickens novel. With two letters from Dickens pasted inside!

Letter #1 is the gem: a note from Dickens introducing his "old friend" Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (who WAS an old friend), written to a then-famous artist. And it's on his office letterhead. Whoa. Notice the lavishly-underlined signature, and the blue ink -- both "tells" of Dickens during this period. (Yes, I studied to learn that)

Letter #2 is more your usual 'responding to a request' letter -- but it's written on Gad's Hill letterhead. Dickens' long-wished-for home, purchased in the last decade of his life. Scribbled quickly, also in blue ink. Typical of the stuff offered online -- nice, though.

    The Ebay seller was asking far more than I could afford. Then they sent a special offer -- still too much. Using the "Best Offer" principle, I made an offer for less than half of what they were asking. (ALWAYS offer less than they're asking, if they're open to the possibility of a Best Offer.)

    They accepted it!

    The letters are real. The ink and paper are consistent with the period. Longfellow WAS visiting Dickens in England at the time Letter #1 was dated. And Dickens WAS living at Gad's Hill during the period Letter #2 was written. Also, his writing and signature are consistent with other examples that have been authenticated. 

     I opened the package, trembling a little, and gently touched the pages. I could actually sell Letter #1 for much more than I spent for the entire lot. But Dickens ephemera has only been going up in value -- I will hang on these for a while, probably framing them. What an opportunity to study writing and signatures up-front and personal! 

    Soon after, I bumbled across a letter written by Augustus Egg, one of Dickens' buddies. It was at an already-low price, but I submitted a Best Offer, anyways. 

     The seller accepted that, too! 

         Egg had moved into The Elms not long before. I am a fan of this Victorian artist, including The Travelling Companions, one of his better-known paintings. He was very much in vogue in past years, though his work is selling a bit slower nowadays. (Good -- maybe I can get one cheaper!)

Dickens' and Egg's letters join a few notes I'd already collected, including Georgina Hogarth (Charley's sister-in-law) and Kate Perugini, his oldest daughter. I also have, I confess, an extensive collection of Dickens novels and commentaries -- all purchased at rock-bottom prices. I had to -- we didn't have enough $$ to spend more. Ironically, being retired has produced more income for us than we'd seen in decades. So it's given me more dollars for research and collecting than I ever used to have. But the Hollander instinct is still strong. I barter, dicker and trade a lot. 

You can buy books from Dickens' personal library, with his bookplate inside. This one's going for more than $500 on Ebay. Or, if you're curious, read the story behind his "lost portrait."  Found at a garage sale!

                                    ==============

    To make my study of signatures and autographs even more helpful, I've been reading the memoirs of Charles Hamilton, a well-known dealer in memorabilia. His books Great Forgers and Famous Fakes, and Scribblers and Scoundrels, are virtual classes in identifying famous signatures -- including up-close examples of fakes, as well as the real stuff. 

Case in point: Abraham Lincoln signatures are extremely popular -- and just as often faked. One way to tell these -- Lincoln rarely signed his full name; usually it was just 'A. Lincoln.' But here's the kicker: his 'A.' was higher or lower than the 'L' in 'Lincoln!' A quick look at Ebay offerings was startling -- you would not believe the straight-line signatures out there! 

    Another trick of the forgers: get an authentic deed, paper, pass, etc. of that time -- then just forge a quick note or signature. Study of those examples usually tanks when you research where that person was at that time period -- and what they were doing. (The ink, signature characteristics and style fail, too.)

     Hamilton had an extensive collection of fakes, which he paid for at lesser rates. (Sometimes, he says, the forgers' signatures have been more expensive than some of the people they copied.) He uses these for comparison, and keeping his eye sharp. This is one of the reasons I collect specific pieces of china (like an 1840s Gaudy Welsh cup and saucer), books and quilts. How can I understand what a c.1800 quilt is like, if I can't smell, feel and look at an example up-close? 

    Starting my own collection of signatures and letters, even if it's miniscule, feels wonderful.