Info about Autographs
Autographs: Capturing Greatness in Handwriting and Signature
The word autograph today is a somewhat confusing term which stands for two different but similar things. An autograph is a combined Greek word which has the components auto and graph. Auto stands for self and graph means writing. The word in its original sense meant a document in the handwriting of the author. This is opposed to the copy made by a scribe. In the past before the typewriters came into existence copying by scribes was very common of all the things written by people of standing. These writing need not be by authors. With the passage of time these manuscripts acquired great value for the posterity. So the autographs are of immense value from a historical and archaeological sense.
In the modern times the word autograph has undergone a great change in the perception of people’s mind. Today, the word means the person’s signature. The word holograph is getting slowly obsolete in popular use. The practice of collecting the signature of celebrities is known as philography.
The value of autographs in the first sense is of great relevance today. They are the most loved items of collectors of antique things. The price of these autographs of ancient great are celebrated relics and people go crazy about them. Hence, the practice of forgery in the niche market is very rampant; it is very difficult to tell the original from the fake unless you use high tech methods to find out the truth about these.
Apart from the collectors’ interest, autographs are providers of valuable information about a person from his handwriting. Autographs of many writers, politicians and scientists are now available. A study of George Washington’s handwriting shows that he had different hand writing at different periods of his life. Admiral Lord Nelson who lost his hand in one sea battle shifted his writing from right to left. This is reflected in his hand writing too. In the adult life Lincoln’s handwriting remained somewhat steady. John. F. Kennedy had different hand writing at different times of his life.
With autographs acquiring its new meaning as signature of important persons who has celebrity stature it is easy to see their importance by watching the attention the celebrities are able to grab in a public place. Cine stars, sports personalities, politicians and religious leaders are sought after in public places for the autographs. Today, it has become a commercial activity too. There are many sporting companies that market their products with the original signature of one or the other celebrated sports personalities. Other signed artifacts of film stars and singers are also sold in the market like hot cakes.
The recent media hype of the importance given to celebrities the world over by the dedicated media has resulted in the demand for autographs the world over. This has given opportunity for many players to use the web for marketing autographs of the famous. Along with this, the opportunity for making quick bucks from fake autographs also has become rampant.