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Hitchcock Signed Letter - Real Letter...but Real Signature?

Here's a TLS from Alfred Hitchcock to a lady who was a film preservation specialist at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA). He's asking for copies of his films to be used in a retrospective of his work to be hosted by the American Film Institute. The lady who he is writing to died recently and this letter came from her estate.

I apologize that photos are dark. I was wondering how the signature looks. It's from 1973 and on his letterhead. I don't know if he used a secretary to sign this kind of correspondence or not. There are no typist notations on the bottom left...but I would not imagine he typed it himself.

I would definitely enjoy hearing from members regarding if this signature looks secretarial or from his hand.

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on February 27, 2021 at 9:17pm

Sure, Steve....I apologize. Especially during these times... Autograph Live is an appreciated haven. Thanks for hosting us!

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Permalink Reply by David Lewis on February 27, 2021 at 9:20pm

Yes sir, Mr. Cyrkin, I love for the ink, not the politics.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on February 27, 2021 at 6:58pm

I have my doubts about this one. There are a few things about it that concern me. If you want a more specific explanation, look no further than the second “h”.

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on February 27, 2021 at 7:14pm

Thanks for jumping in, Mike. I didn't even look at the second "h" but I see what you are pointing to. This is what is helpful (and, at least for me, fun) about getting a mix of thoughts from seasoned collectors.

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Permalink Reply by Mupplvr on February 28, 2021 at 1:13pm

I'm tending to agree with most here - I think it's real. The second H could just be the result of normal human signatures - none of us sign exactly the same all the time. Also, I read he was very generous with signing fan mail. I doubt he would take the time to sign fan mail and have a secretary sign something important to him such as a MOMA exhibition.

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Permalink Reply by Mupplvr on February 28, 2021 at 2:17pm

Here's an example of his "short" second H - from RR Auctions:

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on February 28, 2021 at 3:54pm

Sure, I see that also, Mupplvr. Thanks for posting this. That sketch looks real as well.

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Permalink Reply by Mike Shepherd on February 28, 2021 at 5:21pm

I do not agree that the two “h”s compare at all. Combined with the atypical baseline, as well as the atypical slant of the “H”, “t” and “h”, I have my concerns. Is it real? I have no idea, since I did not witness Alfred Hitchcock signing it. Is it typical of an Alfred Hitchcock autograph? I do not believe that it is.