Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Pat on December 23, 2019 at 2:33pm

For comparison, here are two others I found online written to Tony Bennett and Jimmy Stewart. 

Permalink Reply by Pat on February 20, 2020 at 1:35pm

Bumping this thread. Any thoughts on this?  The fact that there are multiple examples of this same signature that were obviously dictated to two different secretaries (my letter says “FAS:d” presumably for Dorothy Uhleman, and the other says “FAS:l” for whoever that secretary might be.)

I’ve found a similar signature on a letter to George Bush and think that Sinatra wouldn’t have had his secretary signing letters to Presidents and to his close friends. Any thoughts?

EDIT:  More examples, some from a few years later. 
https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/autographs-an...

http://www.iconicauctions.com/lot-82348.aspx

https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/letter-from-frank-sina...

And here’s a replica letter the Sinatra family included in “The Sinatra Treasures” book, this one being dictated to “FAS:l”:

https://miro.medium.com/max/5740/1*0eGIJipRde3YQ67kIgm13g.jpeg

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on February 20, 2020 at 2:21pm

Autopen - the 1989 and 1990 letters are Autopenned (same template as each other) and the 1980 letter is the same Autopen template as yours. Sorry.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on February 20, 2020 at 2:28pm

Actually, not one of the examples you posted is handsigned IMO. The "Tony" letter I can't say but not promising. Even his mid 60's limited edition "handsigned" party favor book was secretarial.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on February 24, 2020 at 4:19pm

This one - the first overlay here- that "ranc" = something unnatural that degree of alignment for four consecutive letters.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on February 20, 2020 at 6:05pm

Whatever is going on here, I don't think it is natural:

(Can't upload files right now - getting an error statement)

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on February 24, 2020 at 1:42pm

Anyone else?

There are a few others here I believe:

Francis Albert

Permalink Reply by Joe W. on February 24, 2020 at 2:16pm

I will throw my two cents in on this. I believe the OP has a good shot at being genuine. Not an autopen, IMO. I would find it hard to believe that letters which are personal in nature to people Frank knew well would not be signed by him personally. Especially "Francis Albert" signatures. These are out of the norm and the content along with the signature would make these special pieces for any collection.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on February 24, 2020 at 2:20pm

Not an Autopen but secretarial I believe, as were those "special" book handed out to friends at was it his 50th birthday party? The one signed in red to Mia in the link is more what I would expect.

Permalink Reply by Pat on February 24, 2020 at 2:25pm

My only argument to that logic is that we see he is using two different secretaries based on the dictation note at the bottom of each piece, one whose name starts with "L" and one whose name starts with "D", and we have the same handwriting.  To me, that rules out the possibility of being secretarial as they are the same writing.

Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on February 24, 2020 at 2:41pm

To me, none of them appear like the sigs in the UACC study or the RR. They are however, very much alike to each other - and nearly all in the same blue. More information needed.

Permalink Reply by Pat on February 24, 2020 at 3:57pm

Agreed.  More info is needed.  I played around a bit more.  Here's the red "Mia" letter overlayed on the Tony Bennett letter:

Here's my letter overlayed on the Tony Bennett letter:

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