Collecting Historical Autographs

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.

Ron Keurajian, a commercial banker and attorney, has written numerous studies on baseball and vintage golf autographs. He lives in Rochester Hills, Michigan.

Ron Keurajian
Format: softcover (7 x 10)
Pages: 416
Bibliographic Info: 1207 photos, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2017
pISBN: 978-1-4766-6415-6
eISBN: 978-1-4766-2428-0
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments viii

Glossary ix

Preface 1

Introduction 3

Building a Collection 7

Forgeries 23

The Shot Heard Round the World: The American Revolution and Beyond 45

The Blue and the Gray: The Civil War 63

A World at War: World War I and World War II 81

Presidents of the United States 118

The Supreme Court of the United States 156

Pax Americana: An American Timeline 184

From the Fields of Kitty Hawk to the Rings of Saturn: Space and Aviation 207

Mechanics, Medicine, and Molecules: Science 224

Signatures from Cooperstown: Baseball 255

From the Links: Golf 294

From the Pages of Literature: Authors 317

A Symphony of Signatures: Composers 352

Kings, Queens, and Other Leaders of the World, Their Supporters and Adversaries 380

Recommended Reading 393

Index 395

“illustrations are outstanding. Ron Keurajian has amassed a huge amount of data over the decades and combined it with his observations, personal comments and recommendations. Anyone serious about collecting or selling autographs will find this new book indispensable”—International Autograph Collectors Club; “once you pick this book up you will find it very hard to put it down…highly recommended…will undoubtedly create many new informed collectors”—Autograph Planet; “Keurajian has created a richly illustrated reference guide that can assist even the most novice collectors in separating the true from the fake…[will be] looked upon as a trusted guide for decades to come”—Civil War News; “these guidelines present advice on identifying and collecting a specific kind of artifact…there are a multitude of examples and black-and-white illustrations of signatures—along with detailed knowledgeable discussions—that reflect a vast knowledge of the subject”—ARBA.