The Autographs and Collectible Memorabilia Blog

Cleo de Merode: The Start of the Celebrity Culture

It’s easy to think of celebrity culture as being a modern phenomenon. Fueled by social media, celebrity is now a throwaway term, as anyone with a successful YouTube channel or Instagram account demonstrates. However, in terms of how we understand celebrity in the twenty-first century, Cleo de Merode was the...

Mozart Manuscript Scores and Documents: Mankind's Treasure

The biography and works of Mozart can only be traced down using several historical documents, mainly The Wolfgang family letters, contemporary documents, and Mozart’s autographs. THE WOLFGANG FAMILY LETTERS The Wolfgang family letters can be divided into several collections depending on when they are dated. However, it is important to...

Opera War: Met Opera versus Manhattan Opera House 1906-1910

The Metropolitan Opera’s General Manager Heinrich Conried’s troubles were not confined to earthquake, fire, and censorship. In 1906 he had to face the strong competition of a rival opera company performing in a brand-new auditorium just a short walk from the Met. This was the start of an “opera war”...

The Royal College of Music Museum—A Visit

One great place to visit on a trip to London if you are a fan of music, especially classical music, is the Royal College of Music Museum. This gorgeous space is an homage to important music history throughout the centuries, housed in an institution that produces some of today’s best...

Ernesto Lecuona: Celebrated Cuban Composer and Pianist

Ernesto Lecuona (1895-1963) was beloved by his native Cuba and gained worldwide recognition during his lifetime. He traveled the globe extensively, performing for packed theaters and concert halls. His musical talents were appreciated by fellow musicians and the general populace alike, with well-known hits such as "Always in My Heart"...

John Wayne Memorabilia and Collectible Treasures

Legendary Hollywood icon, John Wayne continues to be loved by throngs of fans. Generation after generation has not only come to revere his films, but also to seek out memorabilia and collectibles related to the actor's life and films. Whether posters and autographed photos or books and film props, John...

Operetta - A Theatrical History and Timelines

An Operetta is a form of theatre combined with a light opera. It grew out as an independent genre around the middle of the nineteenth century. It originated, in Paris in the 1850s from the French opéra-comique, to satisfy a need for short, light works to contrast with the full-length...

Italian Conductor Guido Cantelli: His Life and Times

Guido Cantelli was a renowned Italian conductor whose brief yet fruitful journey allowed him to conduct in some of the most famous concert halls of the world. So promising was Cantelli’s career that Maestro Arturo Toscanini once stated, "He [Cantelli] will, I feel sure, be my true successor." Sadly, Cantelli’s...

Signed Bookplate: What it is and Why it Exists

Before signed bookplates existed, people used to tip in or add autographed cards, signed programs, and even handwritten notes signed by the authors. A bookplate is a sticky piece of paper that is attached or glued to one of the first pages of a book, so a signed bookplate will...

Pavarotti's Home Museum in Modena, Italy: A Treasure Trove of Art and Culture

When you think of Modena, Italy, the first thing that comes to mind is probably opera. And for a good reason – the city is home to one of the most famous tenors of all time, Luciano Pavarotti. But there's more to Modena than just its operatic heritage. The city...

Autograph Dealers Fake vs Real - 12 Things to Consider (and Not)

Regardless of whether you’re an experienced autograph collector or simply a casual buyer looking for an autograph as a gift, you need to consider if the sellers are reputable, honest autograph dealers. Below we list some of the key things you need to know in order to evaluate who you...

Anna Pavlova - Dying Swan and the Making of her Only Film

Anna Pavlova is one of the greatest and most influential dancers of all time, constantly being revered as one of those figures that helped dancing take a much clearer and fascinating form. In that regard, there are a lot of interesting facts and stories regarding her life and work, which...

Historical Documents - A Window to the Past

Any official document which can be relied upon as the basis or as a support document for anything related to history is a historical document. A historical document can be from any field from politics to medicine, or any field of human experience. They are frozen moments in time, a...

Antoni Esplugas: From Painter to Pioneering Photographer

People might say Antoni Esplugas' destiny was becoming a great artist. Born Antoni Esplugas Puig on April 26, 1852, the son of a painter, Antoni Esplugas Gual, and a drawing teacher, Mariana Puig Battle of Villanova, Antoni Esplugas began painting as a youngster. [IMAGE] Antoni Esplugas by Spanish cartoonist Ramon Escaler...

Havergal Brian: Working-Class Genius Composer

Havergal Brian was a rare phenomenon among composers; a working-class English boy in a middle-class-dominated field who grew up to be one of the most prolific composers of his generation. Brian was also unusual in that most of his work came at a time of life when most people are...

Hollywood Memorabilia - The Fun of Collecting It

Hollywood Memorabilia has been around forever, or so it seems. But it wasn’t until the 1960s and 1970s movie related merchandise started to become more common. In 1977 Hollywood memorabilia really took off with the release of the first Star Wars films, and its associated figures and other merchandise.

Great Collections of Today: The Pedro Corrêa do Lago Autograph Collection

Wolfgang Mozart Autograph Letter 1778 (Correa do Lago Collection) Pedro Corrêa do Lago of Brazil has amassed the largest private autograph collection in the world. Autograph collectors typically focus on finding pieces within a specific niche. Corrêa do Lago's collection stands out due to the broad array of autographs he...

Firsts London's Rare Book Fair 2022 - Visit our Booth

We are excited to announce that Tamino Autographs will be holding our first booth at the Firsts: London's Rare Book Fair 2022. The event will be held at the iconic Saatchi Gallery in the heart of London’s Chelsea from September 15th to 18th. This year will be the 65th edition...

Farewell to Aldo Mancusi - Founder of the Enrico Caruso Museum of America

Our dear friend Aldo Mancusi passed away this May at 92 years old. While the world will miss him greatly, we are fortunate enough to be left with his lasting legacy, the Enrico Caruso Museum of America. In honor of our beloved Aldo, we want to reflect on his life...

University of Michigan Discovers Galileo Manuscript is a Forgery

The University of Michigan was devastated to find out that one of its most famous artifacts turned out to be a forgery. In their possession since 1938, the manuscript was supposed to have been authenticated many years before. The library’s curators were alerted after historian Nick Wilding reported his concerns about the artifact being a fake.

Damaged Photos: Guidelines to Types of Damage

While photos may not look alive, the environment impacts them significantly. Most photo damage occurs slowly over time and catches many people by surprise. For collectors, avoiding damage in their photos is crucial. Some photographs have an incalculable value, but they are only worth as much as their quality at...

Gustav Mahler Symphony 2 "Resurrection": The Gilbert Kaplan Story

Music has touched the hearts and lives of people since its beginnings. It's a way to explore the most profound feelings and mysteries of the human experience and bring people together. Almost everyone has a story or two regarding how a particular piece of music touched their soul at one...

The Schubertiade Music Festival Continues to Create Community

Over two centuries since the first Schubertiades were first held, the festivals continue to bring people together and create a community of like-minded people. From small, intimate gatherings to massive, world-famous celebrations, one thing all Schubertiades have in common is connecting lovers of chamber music and lieder-singing. "Schubertiade" (1868) by...

On the Hunt for The Sopranos Memorabilia: An Overview

More than 20 years ago, on Sunday, January 10, 1999, HBO broadcasted the pilot episode of ‘The Sopranos’. The series ran for two decades, and was centered around Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini), a New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster, discussing with his psychiatrist the difficulties he faces trying to balance his family life with...

THE AUTOGRAPH BLOG

Cleo de Merode: The Start of the Celebrity Culture

Mozart Manuscript Scores and Documents: Mankind's Treasure

Opera War: Met Opera versus Manhattan Opera House 1906-1910

The Royal College of Music Museum—A Visit

Ernesto Lecuona: Celebrated Cuban Composer and Pianist

John Wayne Memorabilia and Collectible Treasures

Operetta - A Theatrical History and Timelines

Italian Conductor Guido Cantelli: His Life and Times

Signed Bookplate: What it is and Why it Exists

Pavarotti's Home Museum in Modena, Italy: A Treasure Trove of Art and Culture

Autograph Dealers Fake vs Real - 12 Things to Consider (and Not)

Anna Pavlova - Dying Swan and the Making of her Only Film

Historical Documents - A Window to the Past

Antoni Esplugas: From Painter to Pioneering Photographer

Havergal Brian: Working-Class Genius Composer

Hollywood Memorabilia - The Fun of Collecting It

Great Collections of Today: The Pedro Corrêa do Lago Autograph Collection

Firsts London's Rare Book Fair 2022 - Visit our Booth

Farewell to Aldo Mancusi - Founder of the Enrico Caruso Museum of America

University of Michigan Discovers Galileo Manuscript is a Forgery

Damaged Photos: Guidelines to Types of Damage

Gustav Mahler Symphony 2 "Resurrection": The Gilbert Kaplan Story

The Schubertiade Music Festival Continues to Create Community

On the Hunt for The Sopranos Memorabilia: An Overview

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