Movies & Television
Authenticating Hollywood memorabilia, from 8x10 glossy photographs to annotated scripts and production props.
The Hollywood Machine
The golden age of Hollywood birtaged the "secretarial" signature. Studios employed teams of secretaries to sign photographs for fans on behalf of stars like Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and John Wayne.
These secretarial signatures are technically authentic ink on authentic period photographs, but they are not signed by the celebrity. They hold vastly different monetary value. AutographPass maintains a comprehensive database of known secretarial styles (e.g., "The Secretarial Monroe") to instantly flag non-authentic signatures that have fooled amateur collectors for decades.
Common Questions: Movie Memorabilia
What is a "Pre-Print"?
A photograph where the signature is part of the image itself, printed at the same time as the photo. We use raking light tests to confirm if the ink sits *on top* of the photographic emulsion.
How do you authenticate signed scripts?
Scripts often contain multiple signatures and annotations. We verify the main signatures and also analyze the handwriting style of any notes to ensure they match the claimed author.
Tool: Secretarial Risk Assessor
Certain combinations of era and photo type have a statistically higher risk of being secretarial.