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Audrey Hepburn

I bought som signed photos from the 50s, most was printed signatures, but this has a clear press on the pen thru to the back.

Did they use autopen back then or could it be real?

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88EF3FEB-8272-4B5C-B034-DCA97B7919F4.jpeg, 2.1 MB

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on March 13, 2019 at 10:55am

The scan when enlarged is not so easy to read but the apparent size, your description, the ink color with pooling, and general appearance might suggest a stamp. Yes, there were facsimile signatures back then.

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Permalink Reply by Lars Olav Karlsen on March 13, 2019 at 11:14am

I know there were faksimile signatures, that was not the question :)

The question was if it was normal with autopen?

When I examine the back of the photo I clearly se a press to the signature that stamp dont give. Thats why I was wondering on if it could be autopen - or real.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on March 13, 2019 at 2:00pm

Autopens were in use by the 1950's although I seem to recall some 1940's William Bendix 3x4 that appears Autopenned or the like with vibrant blue fountain. This ink color could be indicative or a problem, and the indent if very even and deep could as well, but the images do not allow me to read surfaces. This does not appear quite like those Bendix though. The pressure appears very even and slow. You photo has too much texture or not enough resolution/light to say much. The color is also off in the first images. There appears pooled ink in the middle of a stroke (stamp indication) and even cross over but I have seen this appearance on facsimiles which are often on this speckly paper (which does not help us). Better, flat on high res scans will help clear this up. Through the mail is not encouraging. She did as far as I know employ a secretary, as Joe mentioned.

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Permalink Reply by Lars Olav Karlsen on March 13, 2019 at 2:26pm

Yes, they were both of in collors to highlight the signature that is in a tough spot.

I went and got it scaned with my scanner. It aint much better - burn hopefully it is somewhat better.

If I did not missunderstand Joe he wrote that he did not know of any secretarys.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on March 13, 2019 at 2:36pm

Yes, I was agreeing with Joe re secretarials. I don't know of any either. Your postcard I would need to see in hand - the scan is not high enough res for me to see/say anything other than it looks unusual - not quite human - her signatures can be remarkable but this even depth of stroke is weird.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on March 13, 2019 at 2:30pm

A scan like this one I made would be useful. This is almost non-extant in terms of indent (and it is single weight as I recall), apart from a razor slice later in the sig from the nib and speed at the trail end of the "y" (this is Art Carney C. 1955 fountain pen detail).

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Permalink Reply by Lars Olav Karlsen on March 13, 2019 at 2:45pm

This was the best my scanner could do:

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on March 13, 2019 at 2:56pm

Thank you. The texture of the paper is preventing me from saying much else. I would expect if she signed slowly with a fountain pen to the degree the indent suggests on such paper her signature would be more angular and unusual. Is the indent really very even?