1930s actors

[Robert Hollingsworth]

Hey, I’m new here and was given this site as a recommendation from some folks at RACC. My grandmother passed away and I have inherited her collection of signed photos from 1935-1939 as she penciled in on the back of each photo the year. There are approximately 175 photos and most are 5x7. A lot are personalized. Some are preprinted and others are probably secretarial, but I don’t know which are. 

How should I go about getting these authenticated and how should I go about selling them? I collect sports and music memorabilia and only know a few of these names as I’m 30 and don’t really watch Turner Classic Movies. I know that I’m better off selling individually than selling them in bulk. Thank you so much for your help! 

[goodcat]

I'll keep looking Eric and Joe

I'm not 100% sold either way

[Eric Keith Longo]

The baselines are so very different - OP so straight. And those pointy loops with straight left sides...the slant/lean. Those are part of the secretarial diagnosis. Look at the spacing between the "b" and the "l" etc. and how they interact The construction of the "G" and so on. 

[Eric Keith Longo]

The legibility and self aware quality also says a lot apart from the straight baseline.

[Eric Keith Longo]

Also, the OP lacks the carefree fluidity of the authentic signature which only increases as you approach the early 40's . While his baseline straightens a bit in the 40's the rest of the OP sig then falls apart such as the pointy straight sided loops, and the OP is trying to be C. early 1940's when compared to the 30's.

[goodcat]

Oh I looked

Maybe my eyes are seeing odd things lol

But from I have seen, I really see reasonable traits of authentic

I like what Joe said about autograph books vs signed photo's and I agree. 

I would love to post the examples that I think match well but man that's gonna take another half hour to search through the list of exemplars and post them. 
So I guess you'll just have to take my word on it as it differs from yours and Joe's at this time. 

[Eric Keith Longo]

I just grabbed these two from 1935 and a C. 1939 SP - they exhibit what I have been talking about (baseline, loops, slants, formations, fluidity etc). I did not show a 1937 as those appear to have properly formed capital "G"'s and are contract signatures so more careful - but still none show the things the OP does. OP appears slow, static and lifeless in comparison to thses and others.

Click for full image:

[Eric Keith Longo]

And here is a comparison between a 1939 Typed Letter Signed (TLS) and the OP signed 5x7. The baseline, first "l"....and the free fluidity and bouncy quality show here as do many other things.  

Click for full image:

[Joe W.]

Gable used two distinct "G" signature styles. The standard "G" cursive style for legal documents and the "9" g style for autographs. Although you can note that the "k" does not connect with itself. Note the OP where the "k" is fully connected. I would call that atypical; thus secretarial. Also, notice the spacing between the first and last name. Several other differences. Enough that convinces me.

[Eric Keith Longo]

+1 Exactly, and nothing I am seeing from either side of 1937 is created quite as the OP and with the trail off to the left. Apart from the baseline and fluidity, that first "l"...

[Eric Keith Longo]

My response seems to have disappeared.

"+1 Exactly, and nothing I am seeing from either side of 1937 is created quite as the OP and trail off to the left. Apart from the baseline and fluidity, that first "l"..."

[goodcat]

Yes Gable had 2 G spots hahaha

And if you look at many sigs, you will see a resemblance to Robert's in many ways.

There's too much in common for me to dismiss it as secretarial.

Especially the slant of the "G" and the pointy loops. The "r" matches and so does the "k". Mostly its disconnected but not always. For me it matches closer to authentic than secretarial. And I'm holding to it until I see otherwise.

ALSO...

The fact that the Grandmother came from a somewhat wealthy family and loved movie stars aids in my position. Of course many will be secretarial, but we also know some are not (James Cagney for one). And he was a big star. And that example ain't no secretarial

[Eric Keith Longo]

But the pointy loops are the one of the problems, Shawn. I do not see any period exemplars with dead straight left sides. I do not see much at all in common as you apart from a similar appearance or surface similarity. Like those Waters CD's - great look but not genuine in my opinion and others with more knowledge based on the appearance and flavor - construction aside. What about the baseline and legibility here? These are very important. I note none of the connection appear as those on authentic examples. The "r" are not a match - the OP lacks the subtle loop it is made with. The "k" - I really don't see that at all. The first "l" - why is that leaning the wrong way and not bouncy/fluid? That the Grandmother was somewhat wealthy and loved movie stars means nothing - same was true for a tremendous number of folks. The Cagney may very well have come TTM as well. It is not secretarial but you have better eyes than I if you can determine with certainty live ink from that image.