Come up and see Mae West

Okay, what do you think of this one? Could she be true - in this sig at least?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by KaiMi on October 3, 2024 at 7:29am

Thanks for your efforts, guys, but I still don't have any clue why some of the shown pics are authentic and the others not.

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on October 3, 2024 at 8:00am

Kai - It may come down to if you yourself believe in it. It looks like we're a not in a consensus here.

Is it coming from a good source?

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on October 3, 2024 at 8:11am

Hi Kai,

For me, the OP has a weird smoothness, some oddities in form and a somewhat exaggerated nature. As West is not rare and there is no rush why not look at more examples, see what you can, and wait for one you feel really good about?

There are observable differences in the signatures shown here - for example, the "To Roy" that Eddy posted from that problematic collection is the only signature shown here where the first and last name are connected ("e" to "W"). Is that unusual for her?

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Permalink Reply by KaiMi on October 3, 2024 at 8:19am

Thanks, Eric! That helps me to understand it a little better.

I'll definetely skip tth OP and I do have a beautiful signed pic. But I'm looking for an album page for matting with a favourite photo.

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Permalink Reply by KaiMi on October 3, 2024 at 8:41am

As far as I know it is unusual.

In these cases I don't know what to think of that: Would a forger do such an obvious mistake? Isn't it on the other hand a sign for a dynamic and fluent style of a person who is well familiar with this writing? Alas, is it a hint for a forgery or for an authentic example?

That always leaves me puzzled.

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Permalink Reply by KaiMi on October 8, 2024 at 10:33am

Hi Eric,

just for completeness: Markus Brandes offers a piece where "e" and "W" are connected.

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on October 8, 2024 at 10:43am

Was she signing "Sincerely" as "Sin-cerely" at this time or not? When did she start that?

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Permalink Reply by KaiMi on October 8, 2024 at 10:55am

I only know that usual joke from pics she signed in black felt tip in later years. But if these sigs are secretarial it might be her secretarie's joke ...

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Permalink Reply by Eric Keith Longo on October 8, 2024 at 11:03am

That is why I suggested starting a file with all known exemplars in date order. These patterns, signing habits, placement etc., and secretarials, will reveal themselves with enough exemplars.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on October 8, 2024 at 1:36pm

This doesn't look like Mae West to me. Markus is highly reputable and talented BTW.

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Permalink Reply by Eddy on October 8, 2024 at 4:24pm

It is complicated because RRauctions has thought that that style that Markus Brandes Autographs has is real as well:

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot-detail/310829302972614-mae-w...

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Permalink Reply by KaiMi on October 3, 2024 at 8:15am

The source is an ebay seller I don't know, a private person.

Don't get me wrong: We may well be in a consensus. It's only that I have no idea how to differentiate authentic examples from fakes in these cases. With the first examples I understood that the liveliness and flamboyant style in comparison to the more clear and reduced style on the checks from later years made you consider. In your later pics I saw this flamboyant style as well.

That may be a question of when it was signed. But how do I tell good from fake when I have two flamboyant examples and look strictly at the letters?