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Autograph collecting has always been a popular hobby
with children. But adults are even more caught up with what has now
become a very lucrative industry.
There's a great deal of money involved particularly
when it comes to autographs of the rich and famous. Signatures of
historical characters are also in great demand.
Collectors of celebrity autographs have spawned a
huge industry. But besides the historical interest of these autographs,
do these collectors actually appreciate how much information can be
extracted from their documents?
When an autograph consists of a signature and a
paragraph or two of writing it's much easier to form a realistic picture
of the writer. However, a signature on its own is much more difficult
to interpret accurately. The reason for this is that a signature is
really a graphic indication of how the writer sees himself. Often it
shows how he would like to see himself.
Autographs of celebrities can be very revealing of
their self-image. Clearly, a signature can't tell us everything but it
does reveal a lot about the writer's self-image.
For example, you sometimes see a signature with very
large, inflated and ornate capitals that contrasts markedly with the
rest of the autograph. This shows an individual who feels insecure but
tries to hide it with a display of importance.
There's much more about signatures and the secrets of
handwriting in "The
Hidden Meaning of Handwriting".
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