JOHN VERZI AND EDWARD GELMAN PROOF OF A LINK BETWEEN THE TWO GREAT COLLECTORS

For any collector of classic entertainment autographs (or music for that matter) that has not had their head in the sand knows the name John Verzi. Verzi was until shortly after his death almost unknown except to family and friends. A true eccentric he amassed one of the truly great American autograph collections rivaling in fame if not size the Kuflik family and Zane collections. Harvey, Rhoda and Milton Kuflik amassed 80,000 autographs and related material from 1953 to 2011. It was reported in news accounts that the Francis and Violet Zane collection was discovered in a garage in Hawaii. The Zane collection was even larger some 100,000 pieces reported.

While John Verzi's collection did not equal the size of either Kuflick or Zane his provided an array of actors and performers that ranged from bit-part extras to Hollywood royalty like Marilyn Monroe. The number of Verzi autographed material numbered about 24,000. In addition, like the Zanes he took 100s of candid photographs many as color slides.

Verzi was interested in almost anyone who was in theater, movies, television or any performer really. He was relentless in his search for stars with his 4x6 index cards. He not only got autographs but took rare candid photographs of many of the stars. So, his collection was both autographs and candid photographs mostly from color slides. His collection was peppered with the odd politician and other "celebrity" autograph. The majority of his was in the entertainment field and he even collected many scarce Mexican film stars.

Verzi in the early years his cards were the standard white index card and on many of those he dutifully wrote the date he obtained the autograph. Later he turned to color 4x6 cards often using pale blue, green, hot pink, among others. Few people knew of him or his collection in until after his death. His heirs found his trailer filled with files of autographs, slides and photographs of stars dating back to the late 1950s. Fortunately, for many of us they did not just throw them away a fate that almost happened to the Zane collection. It was sold to Tom Kramer and his partner. Tom is one of best-known names in autograph collecting. His Golden Age Autograph site is sorely missed since his retirement. He was one of the early authenticators of classic entertainment material for JSA.

The long-winded purpose of this brief article is a discovery that I find fascinating. In the now over half-century, I have been collecting I formed many friendships with fellow collectors and some very fine dealers. All in the pre-internet age that I did not enter until 1996. Pen & Quill magazine and the old Antique Trader newspaper were among the sources for finding dealers. It was also a common practice to trade autographs among collectors. Rarely, did money change hands it was merely exchanging one autograph (or more than one) for another you needed. It was also a great way to discover new information especially about through the mail. John Verzi from what I can tell may have bought some autographs, but most that he had were in-person ones. I happened to buy a Joyce Randolph from the Verzi Collection and to be honest I did not look at it all that closely. I was so used to seeing his pink 4x6 cards. It was only afterward that I examined the photograph and saw it was not a card but an album page. Furthermore, it was an album page of a collector I knew of.

When the page arrived, I looked at it and sure enough it was clearly from Edward Gelman's old collection. His collection has been on the market for a few years now. One might jump to the conclusion that Verzi purchased it online. That assumption would be wrong. Verzi in his careful style on the back of album page noted that he obtained the sheet in 1979. Gelman was very much alive and actively collecting for years after that. Obviously, Verzi and Gelman had a connection perhaps through the pages of one of the autograph magazines or a fellow collector. Both men were primarily in-person collectors with Gelman on the East Coast and Verzi on the West Coast. Joyce Randolph remained in New York one of the reasons she was not in later Honeymooner episodes after the move to Florida. Verzi in 1979 would have little likelihood of obtaining her autograph in person. Gelman on the other hand would no doubt found it relatively easy to obtain her in-person. So, I suspect that a trade was arranged between the two collectors. Gelman had gotten Randolph's autograph in 1965. What was traded I have not determined. Knowing both men to be collectors I doubt money changed hands. Verzi would have had access to many actors/actresses that Gelman would not. I am certain am amicable trade would not have been difficult.

As many of my autograph collecting friends know I have always been interested in collections and collectors. Although I wanted this particular Randolph because earlier material of hers is somewhat scarce (she was a generous signer in later years). The page having been owned by two of the great autograph collectors makes it that much more meaningful to me.

Here is the Joyce Randolph album page. Verzi added the photograph that was taken from a talent agency book it slightly covers the "R" in "Regards."