scribed characters; an original drawing by Rem- brandt or a musical score by Mozart is a holo- graph. On account of the personal interest with which handwriting is invested, as well as the historical value of documents actually written by famous men, the accumulation of autographs has been a favorite pursuit of collectors from very early times. There were large collections among the Greeks and Romans. One of the Ptole- mies bargained with the starving Athenians, giv- ing wheat for the privilege of copying holographs of Æschylus, Sophocles, and Euripides. He re- turned the copies and retained the originals. Pliny the Elder speaks of seeing in the collection of Pomponius Secundus autographs of famous men written two centuries previously. Among the Chinese also autographs were preserved with great respect in early times. During the Six- teenth Century, in Europe, rich collections were made, of which one, brought together as early as 1578, is in the British Museum. Even before this, the custom of inscribing autographs merely for collections had been developed, and there had appeared (first in Germany in the Four- teenth Century) the Album Amicorum — an oc- tavo book, bound lengthwise, in which names and sentiments were inscribed. Such books were first used by travelers, who were thus enabled to bring home records of the eminent personages whom they had met during their journeys. Among the Egerton manuscripts in the British Museum is an album dated 1.').54. Afterwards autograph albums came into genera! use, and, indeed, were in fashion until the latter p"rt of the Nineteenth Century.
The value set upon autographs by collectors has developed a class of dealers all over the civilized world who sell either privately or at auction. Autographs are described in their cata- logues as a.l.s. (autograph letter signed); l.s. (letter signed); d.s. (document signed); a.1.3 (autograph letter, third person); s. (signature cut from document or letter). The high prices paid for good signatures have encouraged forgers. Sometimes forgeries take the form of fabricat- ing literary matter, as when Chatterton pro- duced the poems of Rowley, or when Ireland 'dis- covered' an original play of Shakespeare. Gener- ally, these forgeries purport to be letters or documents written or signed by famous per- sonages. In America and in England there have been several notable forgeries; but perhaps the most remarkable instance of deceit occurred in France. In 1867, M. Michel Chasles, the first geometrician of France, laid before the French Académie des Sciences letters ostensibly by Pas- cal, Rabelais, Galileo, and others. When seen by experts, these were recognized as forgeries. It was then discovered that Chasles had bought of a certain Vrain Lucas 27,000 pieces, among which were letters of Mohammed to the King of the Franks, Alexander the Great to Aristotle, Judas Iscariot to Mary Magdalen, and others, written in French, on French paper, bearing a fleur-de-lys water-mark. A skillful forger se- lects the guard-folios of old books, washing the ink with a weak solution of muriatic acid, oxalic acid, or an oxalate of potassium, after which the paper is creased and smudged.
The most notable collection of autographs in England is that of the British Museum. The most valuable autograph in this collection is that of Shakespeare, affixed to a deed: his signed
will is preserved in Doctors' Commons. The most valuable private collection in England was formed by the late Alfred Morrison. The gems of the collection are considered to be a holo- graph letter of Americus Vespucius addressed to his father, and a letter of Mary, Queen of Scots, written to Henry III. of France, six hours before her execution, and confiding to him the care of her son 'as much as he deserves it.' In the French archives, the earliest autograph is a document signed by Thierry III., September 12, 677. One of the largest and most important collections in France was that formed by Benjamin Fillon. The classification was under the following heads, which may serve for suggestion to a modern collector:
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T. Inventors and VT. Scholars. XI. Ecclesiastics. initiators. VII. Literary Men Xli. Reformers. II Rulers. VIM. Actors and .Mil Warriors. TIT. Statesmen. Dramatists. XIV. Counter-Rev- TV. French Revo- IX. Pain ters. ol'utionary. lution. Sculptors, XV. Miscellane- V. Discoverers .Architects. ous. and Explorers X. Musicians.
In Germany, one of the largest collections was formed by Alexander Meyer Cohn, of Berlin. In the United States, the collections of Thacher, Gratz, Gunther, and others, covering both do- mestic and foreign fields, compare favorably with the best European collections. In the first of these, the kings of England are represented in an unbroken line from Henry V.; and the kings of France from Charles V., mostly in holo- graph form. The finest collection of American autographs was formed by Dr. Emmet, and is now in the New York Public Library. It con- tains the best set of the Signers of the Declara- tion of Independence, including the only known holograph letter of Thomas Lynch, which was sold for over $5000. Dr. Emmet possessed auto- graphs of nearly every member of the Conti- nental Congress from 1774 to 1789. The basis of an American collection comprises the dis- coverers and founders, Colonial and Continental characters, literary and scientific personages, soldiers and sailors.
The value of autographs depends not only upon the degree of fame of the writers, but also to some extent upon the rarity of the signatures. Among the rarest desirable names are Da Vinci, Raphael, the younger Bach, Gluck, and Char- lotte Corday. Sir Francis Drake, Sir Thomas More, and Milton are exceptionally rare names. Shakespeare is unattainable. Of the 29 Co- lumbus autographs, his descendants are the only private possessors. The rarest names among American explorers are Champlain, La Salle, and Marquette. Among the signers of the Declaration of Independence, Lynch, Gwin- nett, Hart. Morton, Heywood, and Middleton, about in the order named, are difficult to secure. A good holograph set of the 'signers,' with no cut signatures, would be worth $25,000. There are not more than 10 or 12 good sets now in private hands. The rarest President is Johnson, with Taylor next.
A respectable collection of autographs will contain from 5000 to 10,000 pieces. It is wise, for those who desire to begin a collection, to study the catalogues of dealers published during the last forty years. Consult Scott and Davey, Historical Documents (London, 1891), which contains a bibliography on the subject of autographs. See Handwriting.
