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Authenticity is Everything
Is this Michael Faraday letter geniue?
This is from a seller called Gerard A.J. Stodolski, Inc. Autographs. Is he a reputable dealer?
This is his website: https://gajs.com
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by michelle on
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I havent purchased anything from them but they are supposed to be very reputable but their stuff is super expensive
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Permalink Reply by X Karl on
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This seller says he is a member of PADA, but I couldn't find him through PADA's official website. Maybe he resigned from it for some reasons. Anyway, Being a member of ABAA is much more difficult.
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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on
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I was asked to look over this item and I thought I would share my findings with the group:
From the scans and my research:
"The paper appears of the correct type and size (small Octavo, 4.5" x 7" specifically) and is consistent with paper Faraday used during this period. The crested Royal Institute of Great Britain blind stamp is correct for 1859. The dip pen appears to be a steel nib of the same cut as other examples used by Faraday during this period. The ink appears consistent with Faraday. I did see a small number of his letters/notes written in pencil. The handwriting, letter formations, numerals and application are consistent with that of Faraday, as is the signature. I believe, from the scans provided, that this is a fine, clean genuine example of an ALS from Michael Faraday."
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An interesting note - in 1835 Faraday gave a large presentation on the manufacture of quill pens, and just how many were being imported.
"Faraday’s main focus is the development of the steel pen nib industry, which had been growing from small beginnings in the previous 10 years. He shared the stage with a pen manufacturer who set up machinery to demonstrate the production of steel pens to the audience! For comparison with the newest methods, Faraday gives a detailed account of how quill pens were prepared on an industrial scale. Although his talk is from 1835, he implies that the methods used have been unchanged since the 1760's, when English manufacturers learned the process from the Dutch. What has changed since Jane Austen’s time (she died in 1817) is the numbers- even with steel pen use growing, the production of quills had been increasing year by year. British geese couldn’t produce enough (only 5 feathers on each wing are suitable), so by 1835 20 MILLION quill feathers a year were imported from Russia and Poland. Incredible numbers!"
Manufacture of Pens By Dr. Faraday, Records of General Science, May 1835:
Click to read.
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This seems like a good additional reason to collect him in ink, and an added layer of interest and perhaps value as well.
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Thanks Eric. What a great investigation you just did. I never Know Faraday had a lot to do with our hobby of collecting historical manuscripts and the history of pens. That's profound!
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My pleasure to try and help, Karl. Yes, it seems he was...instrumental...in our hobby as well as electromagnetics etc. :-)
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"4 Feb 1859
My dear Mr Senior
I have read with much interest
your notes of Egypt and now return
them I trust quite safe[.] I owe
you many thanks for your kindness
& for the pleasure they have given
me[.]
Ever Truly Yours
M. Faraday"
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I made my own quill pen when I was a kid. Not sure what kind of bird the feather came from - most likely a seagull.
The key was that inside the base of the feather was a sort of spongy material that held the ink.
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That is very interesting. It appears that whether you are right handed or left handed dictates which wing you harvest from.
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