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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.
Regards,
Steve Zarelli
Tags: Charlton, Forgery, Heston, Secretary, authenticating, autograph, secretarial
Having been a big Charlton Heston fan, I've received true autographs from Mr. Heston "in person" in NYC several times over the 1990s, as well as through the mail. Up to this very moment I've always thought that the signatures via mail were as authentically Heston's as the ones he signed for me in person the times I'd met him in New York. I figured his signature was very distinctive and not easy to copy.
I was prepared to balk at this revelation initially...
HOWEVER -- I've just gone and examined my many Heston autographs which I've obtained over the years, and I have to tell you that I must stand corrected! I fear that this article may be correct. All my "in-person" Heston signatures, upon new inspection, contain the distinctive "r" (with the exception of one OMEGA MAN lobby card which was rush-signed at ABC studios in person where Chuck signed for a huge amount of people .. this one sample is not very typical of CH's autograph and is rushed without a distinctive "r" yet the size there still is smaller and looks nothing like the taller "Chall" secretarial versions)...
All the photos I've received in the mail, on the other hand, look uncannily like that "too tall" secretarial "l" variety! I am now semi-devastated because I figured Chuck was not the type to do this, and had always accomodated his fans. I guess I was wrong... I say I am "semi"-devastated because I at least have three "in-person" signatures which I absolutely KNOW are legitimate.
Dennis & Joe, thanks for your story's and input which I very welcome.
Especially Dennis examples may bring more confusion into the disscussion, but as Joe stated, if Dennis knows he obtained the signatures In Person then it is a fact we have to accept.
Dennis, do you know the year you got those In Person examples ?
Aside from the Dennis samples here --- what's to stop an unscrupulous dealer from selling a "Chall" that he got through the mail and then saying he obtained it in person? It's not a comfortable question to ask, but let's be honest and say that it can and probably does happen...
nothing, that's daily business of some unscrupulos ebay sellers.....
A few years ago ebay suspended a seller his sales were in the 30'000+ items, he always had photos of a black guy with the stars as proof, but none of the items offered was genuine..... oh not forget to mention that he had a 100% positive feedback score, you know ;-)
Autograph Czar!
Ahhh, I remember that case so vividly.
I actually sent this to Steve on day 1 and he said that the guy they use now is very careful because he was aware of Rolf's past study and they are aware of this study now too.
I don't think the review of "old" GAI coas is specific. I would tell anyone that questions an item to send it to steve for review. ssipe@globalauthentics.com
I can't speak to what actions they will take but I know he will gladly answer that for you.
I hope that helps. Until then, I will work on getting Global Authentics "official" statement
I'd like to see double L "in-persons" from more than one source. Thus far, every other in-person photo that has emerged supports the theory.
By the way, there are two other indicators in these supposed in-persons that indicate secretarial. It's not just the double L.
I agree Steve, more double L "in-persons" are in need from other sources, otherwise it would not change my mind on the secretarials...
not just pictures and claims as I said, "i have not budged one iota" on those pictures submitted and the overwhelming evidence appears to be otherwise - need to hear more from the "Joes" of the world,
The other consideration is, why do the double L's consistantly come through the mail ON PHOTOS but NOT books? If the double L was an "authentic variant," wouldn't it appear on TTM books just as frequently as TTM photos?
Occam's razor. There is only one logical answer here.
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