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TWO JFK 1954 TLS Real or Secretary ? Please Help !

Hi, I am new here but have scoured these threads for quite a while. I am somewhat of a collector (mainly Beatles) but these items are more of a "personal" nature to me as they were sent to my father. I have read, compared and gotten many opinions over the years regarding these letters and am well aware that Kennedy signatures are amongst the hardest to authenticate. It is my hope to get Andreas Wiemer and Steve Cyrkin involved in this discussion as their input in previous discussions has been invaluable.

I have TWO JFK letters signed nine days apart and are drastically different. Mr. Wiemer's recent study and discussion notes has raised issues regarding the January 11th signature. Mainly, the stopping after the "e" in Kennedy as opposed to stopping after the "n" - in a previous discussion, he has termed this WRONG, although, admittedly, at one time thought this "style" was authentic.

The second letter dated January 20th is a completely different style (obviously). However, it incorporates styles from earlier authentic Kennedy signatures (1950-1952), the almost "V" like "K" in Kennedy, the "8" style "J" in John, as well as the skipping of the second "e" in Kennedy and the "d" along with the previously seen swooping "Y".

Many years ago, John Reznikoff gave these a cursory "looks good" but I know that a lot of new info has come out since that time.

These letters pertain to my father becoming a US citizen and I am very happy to have them in my possession. I have gone through the trouble of mounting and displaying one of them in my home (I'll reveal which one after I get opinions - LOL). I also have the "franked" envelopes that they came in and will provide photos if that would help at all.

I am simply trying to get the most informed opinions regarding this so that I can confidently display it and pass on to my children. Please help. Please ask any questions if I have missed anything and I greatly appreciate your feedback. I look forward to hearing from you.

Tags: Historical, JFK, TLS, presidential

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Permalink Reply by Rfitzz on November 3, 2018 at 2:00pm

In fact, yes, the Jan 18th letter is typed by the same secretary "mb" as mine... just fyi: this letter sold in 2011 for $1500.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on November 3, 2018 at 2:08pm

It looks to me like the person signed both labeled questionable and yours.

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Permalink Reply by Rfitzz on November 4, 2018 at 9:34am

I agree, certainly by the same person. Here is where it gets a little fuzzy for me: Another letter, signed the very same day as mine, Jan 11th, typed by "el" Evelyn Lincoln, yet has the same exact signature as my Jan 11th and the Jan 18th example. Would a letter typed by "el" be signed by "mb", or vice versa ? Or was it Kennedy who signed all of them ? I know there are people who have expressed their belief that the "person who typed it is the person who signed it"... this would certainly poke a hole in that theory, no ? This just gets more and more confusing as the "el" letter would certainly fall in to Andreas' "questionable" category...

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on November 4, 2018 at 12:54pm

Someone could have typed it and someone else signed it in some cases. The same person signed all three of those, that's obvious.

What seems likely to me is that Evelyn Lincoln signed them all for two reasons: First, to proof any letter typed by someone else. Second, for as much consistency as possible. But I haven't closely studied JFK's signature and don't know the inner workings of his office, so what I said simply makes sense to me.