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Charlton Heston Secretarial Signature Study

Hi:

At Steve Cyrkin's invitation, I'd like to call your attention to a signature study I've posted on my blog, Charlton Heston signature study by Steve Zarelli.

I believe I have identified the "tell" in Charlton Heston secretarial signatures, and if I am correct, the news is not good for most collectors. It appears that most Heston signed photos are secretarially signed.

Here is a synopsis:

The Theory
Photographs and other memorabilia sent to Mr. Heston's office were signed by a secretary. However, Mr. Heston did authentically sign books through-the-mail.

Real vs. Secretary
In authentic signatures, the R in "Charlton" is distinctly a lowercase "r" and less than half the height of the L. The first four letters are clearly "Char."

In secretarial signatures, the R looks much more like a lowercase "l" and is about the same height as the L. So, the first four letters appear to be "Chall."

I have attached two images to give you a small sampling.

For more details and images, please visit my blog at the link below.

I'd love to hear your feedback and thoughts on this. I fully anticipate some resistance to the theory, because denial is always the first step. In fact, I would love to be proved wrong, because that would mean I wasn't sitting on a bunch of secretary signed photos!

By way of introduction, I have been collecting since the early 90s and I am the UACC Ethics Director.

I look forward to the discussion.

The Collecting Obsession

Regards,

Steve Zarelli

Tags: Charlton, Forgery, Heston, Secretary, authenticating, autograph, secretarial

2 members like this

Attachments: No photo uploads here

Figure 1.jpg, 60 KB
Secretary 1.jpg, 37 KB

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Hitch1010 on August 3, 2011 at 12:47pm

I understand from other collectors that they don't scan and upload everything they sticker. When he was alive these were $10.

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Permalink Reply by Lou reves on August 3, 2011 at 2:58pm

So is this real? It looks like a Chall but says Offered for sale o...

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Permalink Reply by Brick Hunter on August 3, 2011 at 3:07pm

100% secretarial. He dictated or had a template for typed letters which would then be signed by a secretary. This has all the markings of a secretarial.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on August 3, 2011 at 4:01pm

Looks pretty open and shut to me. Remember, it's not just the R/L indicator. It's the baseline and the "es" as well. All point to secretary.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on August 3, 2011 at 3:59pm

Sale ended.

Glad to see Congressmen got the secretary as well as everyday schlubs like me. ;-)

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Permalink Reply by Hitch1010 on August 3, 2011 at 5:01pm

Hi Louie, this looks like the CHALL discussed here.

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Permalink Reply by Lou reves on August 3, 2011 at 3:15pm

I am confused it says being sold for University Archives, but it seems the seller is Herman Darvick, he has a couple of them listed? And I know Herman wouldnt sell a fake?

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Permalink Reply by Steve Zarelli on August 3, 2011 at 4:03pm

All gone now.

Not that I am making excuses, but we have to realize the entire world does not read this web site and it would be presumptuous to think the entire community knows about the study. I know Herman comes here on occasion, but it's entirely possible he's never seen this thread.

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Permalink Reply by Hitch1010 on August 3, 2011 at 5:00pm

I didn't know they were on ebay?

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Permalink Reply by Lou reves on August 3, 2011 at 4:08pm

I would guess he read it as it was around for quite awhile? And I dont think John would have listed them? I was wondering if it was a case of someone trying to smear them? Funny how once called out they disappeared?