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Bette Davis - Your opinions on authenticity?

Sorry but this is the only picture I have

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on January 16, 2024 at 11:08am

p.s. Here's another one by what I believe is that same assistant's hand:

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Permalink Reply by JMS1223 on January 16, 2024 at 12:10pm

I have seen numerous examples of this photo authenticated by JSA. I looked at the signatures and I don’t see any big difference between ones JSA authenticated and the others out there of this particular photo signed. Why are they authenticating any of these? Are they all suspect or is it believed JSA seems to know which ones are good and they reject the rest?

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on January 16, 2024 at 12:22pm

Not sure why they are authenticating them. I'm in the minority, but having looked at her over time, I'm thoroughly convinced that she's more elusive in authentic form than is generally believed.

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Permalink Reply by JMS1223 on January 16, 2024 at 12:25pm

Do you believe ANY of her ttm signatures on this particular photo are authentic? Or do you believe them to all to be secretarial?

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on January 16, 2024 at 12:35pm

I guess there's always the possibility. Can never rule anything out absolutely in the world of vintage autographs!

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Permalink Reply by JMS1223 on January 16, 2024 at 4:17pm

Thanks. I appreciate your thoughts on these. You might very well be right. It’s sad when something commonly accepted as “authentically signed ttm” is later learned to be “probably secretarial ttm.” It makes perfect sense though. Makes me wonder who else might actually have been secretarial ttm that people still largely accept as authentic.

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on January 16, 2024 at 5:13pm

Joan Crawford can be another ttm challenge that I don't feel has been fully explored.

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Permalink Reply by meggs on January 18, 2024 at 7:20am

JSA has been aroung since the early aughts. PSA since the late 90's. In the years since they came into existence, there have been numerous celebs who were thought to have been good TTM signers but, with increased study by autograph "detectives" over time comparing IP sigs with TTM, have been found to send out secretarial responses. Debbie Reynolds comes to mind. Charlton Heston is a classic example. It's been quite a few years since JSA/PSA have authenticated his sec'y autographs, but the old erroneous authenticated ones are still out there.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on January 18, 2024 at 7:29am

The same is true of Jackie Gleason. He is actually very rare in authentic form.

Permalink Reply by JMS1223 on January 18, 2024 at 9:15am

That is very good to know. I remember the days when people thought Heston was authentic ttm and then remember when people started questioning the authenticity and now it’s widely accepted.

I also remember when people knew Carrie Fisher was secretarial ttm and said her mother, Debbie Reynolds, signed them. People at the time thought Debbie Reynolds was authentic then finally someone questioned her ttms as well. It only makes now that both would be secretarial but perhaps the secretary that signed for them both did a better job copying Debbie’s autograph.

Permalink Reply by JMS1223 on January 17, 2024 at 5:37am

Just did some browsing and found Beckett has authenticated a Bette Davis signature on one of these 1980s photos.

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/TkQAAOSw~nVlTDr8/s-l1600.jpg