Today in the studio we have a copy of John F. Kennedy’s Profiles in Courage, inscribed by the author to an interesting—but not especially well-known—figure from Boston’s history. We’ll use it as a jumping-off point into a discussion of signatures and inscriptions more generally: some are simply nice to have, others substantially increase the collectibility and value of a volume, and many turn out to be written by a secretary or printed with the book itself. A look at some of the most common and convincing faux signatures rounds out this 100% authentic #brattlecast.
Brattlecast #150 - Antiques Roadshow Memories
In this episode, Ken talks about some especially notable TV appraisals from his years on Antiques Roadshow. The highlights include a Civil War letter with a surprising twist, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photograph, and one item that… actually didn’t work out so well. The show is currently in the midst of its 27th season; you can catch new episodes Monday nights on PBS, or watch online here: www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow.
Brattlecast #67 - Tolkien Care of Business
J.R.R. Tolkien is the author of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and, less famously but most importantly for our purposes, a charming letter to his publisher in which he attempts to answer questions from the public about himself and his work. On this episode, Ken reads from that letter, and talks about the chain of fascinating friendships that helped it find its way into his shop. Plus he’ll discuss the effect that the popular Peter Jackson films had on the collectability and value of Tolkien’s first editions.
