Authenticity is Everything
A Doors Mystery - A Fully-Signed Light My Fire German Picture Sleeve
This signed picture sleeve will be offered in the next Gotta Have Rock and Roll auction.
I don’t see an issue with the signatures. However, the problem is the provenance. It’s a German picture sleeve, and in the letter of provenance the original recipient provides a very specific and detailed account of getting it signed on 9/14/68 in Germany.
The confusing part is that the photo on the front of the sleeve was taken on 9/18/68 in Copenhagen. So, obviously the picture sleeve didn’t exist on the date he claims it was signed.
It was released after the Doors returned to the US. As far as I know, they didn’t return to Europe as a group until they played the Isle of Wight Festival in August of 1970.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Steve Cyrkin, Admin on
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I think the Letter of Provenance is fraudulent.
The LOP says it's from Ralf Heinrich with an address of a town in England.
But it's written in American-style English, not UK English, including the date format, Month/Day/Year: September 14th, 1968. In the UK, Germany, and most of Europe it's written Day/Month/Year: 14th September, 1968.
The LOP details and date makes no sense, so even though the autographs look real, I can't see how they could be.
If the LOP is fake....
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Where I looked up Best Regards it said it was used in the UK. Thanks for clarifying that.
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Permalink Reply by Findbooks on
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Don't believe everything that Google tells you.
As a Brit, "Best Regards" sounds artificial. Brits might sign off "Kind Regards" or simply "Best" (which is actually my own preferred sign-off) but I would say "Best Regards" is awkward and - as Michelle pointed out earlier - is not appropriate for such a document.
"To whom it may concern" would normally be closed with "Yours Faithfully" or "Yours Sincerely" although the former is the more correct usage.
The name of the author is clearly German so English-as-a-second-language or an app-generated translation more likely to be the source of the slightly stilted language in the letter.
Edited to add
"Best,
Findbooks" :-)
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I've actually seen "best regards" frequently on US letters, such as ones I got from various former presidents. Maybe it's a generational thing.
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Yes, "Best Regards" has been commonly used in the US for 100 years or so. I meant that I searched to find out if it was a commonly used closing in the UK, and Google AI said it was not.
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If the signatures are definitely 100% it could be a simple memory-lapse on the part of the letter-writer. Written, long after the actual event.
If an outright fiction is involved, how about this: he purchased the item himself from a trusted source, knew the item to be authentic and the backstory is second-hand, i.e., how he remembers the original seller’s account.
Failing either of these scenarios, how sure are you about your info concerning the dates of the picture? Is there more than one source for the dates?
How very bizarre to complicate a gold-plated item with an unnecessary tale.
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Permalink Reply by BallroomDays67 on
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It’s documented that the photos were taken on that date by Gunter Zint. They filmed a TV appearance that day and he took photos of that as well. They appear to be wearing the same outfits in both.
Keep in mind that the picture sleeve couldn’t have even been signed in Germany. It was released after they came back to the US. They never returned to Germany with Morrison.
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Even if the autographs look 100% that doesn't mean they're actually real. We are not seeing them in person or with crisp, high resolution, and I'm concerned that there are very sophisticated reproduction/forgery techniques and technology that we're not aware of.
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Hmmm. The plot thickens....
Good point about the date format. The letter does mostly read to me like American English. Are there any Brits here who can comment on how it reads to them?
There is one passage that might sound European to me. "the American group Canned Heat, who were the supporting act..."
In the US we refer to a team or organization as one entity whereas in the UK (and Ireland) they refer to it as plural. "The team was" vs "the team were". I personally would have written "the American group Canned Heat, which was the supporting act..."
Maybe Ralf H. got help from others on wording?
Also, the letter appears to me to be the US size 8.5x11, not the European A4. Any other thoughts on this?
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