The Vintage Signature of Jackie Gleason 1916-1987 "Ralph Kramden" 54 exemplars, All Known Secretarials and Preprints/Stamps.


The above vintage unique candid was from Gleason's final Estate sale.

Hi All,

In keeping with the format of the other threads about the vintage signatures of the main cast members of this beloved TV classic, this will, unlike my 4 part Richard Burton Signature Study, not be an in-depth illustrated biographical recount but a collection of authentic signatures presented in chronological order. This thread will be added to continually as I go through my exemplars. The initial iteration is presented below; much more will be added. This is intended to supersede all previous Gleason threads.. There are some 50 exemplars a long with all known secretarials, their names and periods with examples and link to even more.

October 13th, 1936(?) Billboard Document

April 15th, 1942 Tax document

January 17th,1944 Selective Service Registration Card

1944 album page:

1944 dedicated album page (0ne mine)

1945 cut stapled into a Playbill found for a member.March 18th, 1946 William Morris Agency Contract

1946 ANS

1948 dedicated album page

January-June, 1949 Playbill 

C. 1950 candid

C. 1950 portrait

C. 1950's portrait

c. early 1950's photograph

C. 1950 

c. early 1950's 

August 27th, 1951 album pag (0nce mine)

September 10th, 1951 album page

1952 

January 21st, 1953 postcard (once mine now a cut!)

May 8th,1953 What's My Line sign in

May 25th, 1954 Passport

May 25th, 1954 Passport detail 1

May 25th, 1954 Passport detail 2

c. 1950's album page

Here is a postcard from Ruby Foo's Den, which closed in July, 1957 so this is likely several years before based  on the signature

September 4th, 1955 postcard (0nce mine)

1955 photograph MINE.

1956 book inscription "A Golden Ham", perhaps part of the limited softcover signed edition

1957 cut

September 21st-27th, 1959 Playbill

1961 signed card

1961 photograph

1962 oversized Ektachrome print - the only authentic signed color photograph I have ever seen (0nce mine)

1962 color oversized photograph detail - look  for the paraph in earlier examples

1963 photograph

1963 photograph

June 19th, 1967 UK Talk of The Town wine list (0nce mine)

October 25th, 1967 document

1969 

1969 photograph detail

1970 TWA passengers logbook

c. 1973

1974 John Verzi Collection

1970's green felt tip signature

1977 Golf Program

Another 1970's example

1977 photograph

1977

C. 1970's. The lone Classic '39 "bus photo" authentically signed by all:

1977 photograph

1980's ballpoint

1980's magazine cover

1980's album page

1980's

The Vintage Autograph of Audrey Meadows 1922-1996 "Alice Kramden"

The Vintage Signature of Art Carney 1918 - 2003 "Ed Norton"

The Vintage Signature of Joyce Randolph 1924-2024 "Trixie Norton"

The Honeymooners Television Program: Complete Vintage Cast Collecti...

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I REALLY did not to get into Gleason's secretarial signatures as that is a whole book, but since that is what you will most likely encounter I should:

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That is great start and will be a very valuable guide to those collecting Gleason's autograph.

Thank you Scott. I have a ton to add yet!

Hi Scott,

I think it is pretty much done now. There are nearly 50 exemplars now covering about as many years. Thank you for your suggestions!:-)

That looks great to me.   I like the chronological order. Hopefully, it will help people avoid the abundance of secretarial signatures out there.  Like Andy Griffith, Tony Curtis, Dick Van Dyke, and many others, collectors assume they have the real thing.   A glance at sales records indicates genuine signatures are probably a lot scarcer than one might think.  

Thank you Scott! :-)

After much consideration, Gleason's secretarial signatures have been added due to their overwhelming frequency.

I think that is a good way to add them.

There are now only two Jackie Gleason signed photographs shown under his name at the "Facts" site and they are both authentic (mid 1940's and the C. 1962) 

But, under "The Honeymooners"  there are five "Gleason's" shown of which only two are authentic Jackie Gleason signatures (1947 contract/Gleason McQueen dual 1963 SP).

That is more secretarials/forgeries than authentic - in this one area!

Of the remainder, there is just one "authentic secretarial" by Sydell Spear. The other two are not authentic anything.

If anyone wants to know anything about Jackie Gleason signatures they have please PM me. I wish to keep this thread essentially as is. 

These are the two authentic Gleason signatures at the PSA Facts page. The others are 2 forgeries and a Sydell Spear secretarial.

Click for large images:

Here are two 1950's Gleason preprints:

 

I just added a nice vintage signed postcard from Ruby Foo's Den in Boston, Mass. to this article.

Just added a 1970's green felt tip and a 1980's ballpoint exemplar to the main article. 

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