Calling All Boris Karloff Experts

 

  Anyone with a solid expertise with Boris Karloff, take a look at this photo.   I have collected his autograph for over 25 years.  Also I sent to someone I consider the  credible expert on Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi.   But just curious to hear opinions here.

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Permalink Reply by kevin conway on May 3, 2011 at 2:16pm

Josh,

I was actually going to get the Baer, it was a gorgeous image of him.  But in the end just picked up the Karloff.  I was even considering the Harlow , even though it was Mama Jeans signature. It was a great vintage photo of her even though as 99% of her photos, not genuinely signed by her.

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on May 5, 2011 at 9:59am

Kevin bought this Karloff and wants $14,500...I think it's a good deal at that, and super-rare.

http://www.cvtreasures.com/authentic-celebrity-autographs-autograph...

Du7mtVWHq
Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on May 5, 2011 at 6:28pm

Kevin,

Can the degradation on old photos like these be arrested? I understand the need for proper storage and display, but can degradation permanently be stopped?

Permalink Reply by kevin conway on May 5, 2011 at 7:01pm

Steve,

Not sure.  Would have to check with a photo restoration expert.   I know with vintage movie posters the paper was Not acid free and hence results in deterioration.  So, most collectors have their movie posters linen backed which also deacidifies the paper and thereby preserves the poster much longer.

The slight silvering at the bottom of image is not visible unless a bright light hits it.  Looking at it in person I don't notice it unless I look for it by tilting it toward bright light.  It is not the thin massive produced glossy but a thicker studio style  portrait.

Permalink Reply by kevin conway on May 5, 2011 at 7:10pm

 To avoid over-exposure I am going to keep the large Karloff image posted only until tomorrow, Friday.  So if anyone wants to discuss, send Steve or myself a PM.

 

Kevin

Permalink Reply by David W on May 8, 2011 at 7:18pm

Here's your answer guys - Thread is 2-3 pages long and starts about 3/4 of the way down of the first page. These folks are the go-to group for vintage horror star autograph authentication.

http://monsterkidclassichorrorforum.yuku.com/topic/7667/Autographed...
Permalink Reply by kevin conway on May 8, 2011 at 7:38pm

 

Doug is correct.   Boris usually did not loop the "B"  in his signature.  But there have been a fair amount of exceptions. Here are just a few PSA Karloff's I found in an auction house's archives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

His assertion that everything else is right on and if this is forged it is brilliantly done, echoes what a long time Karloff/Lugosi collector (better with his signature than anyone I've met in my 30 years collecting) said.


"I just looked at the scan you sen me yesterday and if Karloff didn't sign that in his own hand  and someone was able to forge it that well then I would suggest nobody go into the autograph hobby ... that would be scary big time!   Looks totally legit to me from all standpoints..."

 

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on May 8, 2011 at 7:52pm
What a great forum! I'd love to get some of those folks over to this site, too.
Permalink Reply by kevin conway on May 11, 2011 at 8:50pm

 

Someone in the Horror Autographs Forum posted a handwritten letter by Karloff from 1932, which well places this signature to 1932 time frame.  Dead on match!  ...some pretty sharp guys over there!

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on May 12, 2011 at 5:13am
I think you've done a superb job establishing authenticity of your photo, Kevin. I would love for you to write an article about the process...and Karloff autographs.
Permalink Reply by kevin conway on May 12, 2011 at 5:39am

 

Steve,

You must have ESP... I was just walking the dog and thought about writing a couple signature studies like for this , John Wayne and a couple others.    I think what many of us in the community do is get fixed on a certain style of handwriting/signature from the most known period of that figures life. For example, here most collectors and dealers are much more familiar with Karloff’s later signature when he probably signed 95% of all the autographs on the market, i.e. 50s/60s.   So when we see a more rare 30s signature, that is a bit more legible we get thrown off a bit. 

 

I am sure the same thing happens with even more inconsistent signatures like Sinatra, Judy Garland and others.   If we didn’t have great signatures studies like the most impressive Sinatra study by Bill White, most of us would be lost trying to figure out the multitude of Sinatra signature styles and variances.

Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on May 12, 2011 at 6:09am
Fantastic! Tricia Eaton did a great Judy Garland study for us a couple years ago, but we could really use Karloff and an updated Sinatra. There are about a hundred entertainment studies we could really use.

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