The Autographs and Collectible Memorabilia Blog

Tamino Autographs at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair!

We are back in this fair, running from March 7th-10th at the Part Avenue Armory! Over 200 international dealers (see photo from the 2018 Fair) will be there, offering collectible books, maps, autographs, manuscripts and ephemera. Tamino Autographs will be in booth A42 with a variety of autographs in art,...

Cité de la Musique – Museum of Music in Paris – Our Visit

The Cité de la Musique or City of Music is a vast museum in Paris dedicated to music instruments and history. Located in the Parc de la Villette - a former slaughterhouse district - it is part of a complex of buildings that include the home of the Paris Philharmonic...

Musee Chopin (Chopin Museum) in Paris – Our Visit

We just visited this small museum, unknown for most people, located right at the heart of Paris, France. Musee Chopin is a 1-room museum inside the Societé Historique et Litteraire Polonaise in the Ile de Saint-Louis, in central Paris. This small but very interesting museum displays a piano apparently used...

Visit us at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair!

This year, and for the first time, we will have a place in the famous New York International Antiquarian Book Fair! It will take place between March 8th and 11th, 2018, at the Park Avenue Armory. Over 200 American and international dealers will be present at the ABAA New York...

Vienna Philharmonic 1926 – Large Original Etching by Ferdinand Schmutzer

Ferdinand Schmutzer (1870-1928), an Austrian artist, printmaker and photographer produced this etching , in 1926, featuring the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, in rehearsal, under the baton of conductor Felix Weingartner (1863-1942). A number of texts have been written regarding this exceptional print, notably “Dermusikerportraits of Ferdinand Schmutzer”, Barbel Holaus , Vienna, 2001,...

Julian Gayarre – The Voice from Paradise

"JULIAN GAYARRE - THE VOICE FROM PARADISE" is a new book by writer and opera expert Oscar Salvoch. We received as a gift this book (in Spanish) from the author - 970 pages with a very in-depth biography of the famous Spanish tenor, who passed away in 1890 just a week short...

Just Acquired: The SW Autograph Collection!

We just purchased a large collection of autographs and memorabilia! it includes 2 parts: The first and most important part consists of nearly 100 autographs of Maria Callas, the star soprano (1923-1977) - see photo - plus a quite complete collection of performance programs and playbills, and other memorabilia. The...

Rediscovery of “long-lost” Granados opera

Spanish composer Enrique Granados is universally hailed, alongside Isaac Albeniz, as one of the most significant and talented composers to come out of the Iberic Peninsula in the second half of the Nineteenth century. Contrary to his slightly older colleague, Granados’ works are, although highly revered, rarely performed and a...

Renata Tebaldi – Mario del Monaco - Signed Handkerchief from Otello

Collecting opera and classical music memorabilia not always focuses strictly on the usual autograph photos, letters, books, programs, and playbills. Over the years, we have seen many unusual items that can become treasured collectibles by the music fan. They include signed ballet pointe shoes, conductor´s batons - signed and unsigned...

Marc Chagall´s Poster “Die Zauberflote”

We love it when customers frame their purchases from us and send us a picture! Here is one of a poster we sold unframed, our customer was nice to send us a picture of the final product, beautifully framed. Back in 1966, five thousand of these posters were created in...

Just Acquired: The Enrico Aloi Autograph Collection

We are proud to announce that we just acquired a wonderful collection of autographs, unsigned photos, vintage printed music and sketches that belonged to Enrico Aloi (1922-2002). A close friend of Rosa Ponselle, he authored 3 pictorial books about her, currently well-known in the opera world. He was also a highly...

Our Visit to Beethoven´s Birth House in Bonn, Germany!

Just days ago, we had the chance to visit Beethoven-Haus, the place where Beethoven was born in December 1770 and lived for the first 4 years of his life. Located in Bonn, Germany, this was the musical genius first home, then the Beethoven family moved to different houses in Bonn in...

Otello “in blackface” – a dying trend?

This past fall, the Metropolitan Opera opened its season with a new production of Giuseppe Verdi's "Otello". This production was much more widely publicized in the mass media than most operatic performances because of the announcement by the company's General Manager, Peter Gelb, that the Met would be abandoning the usual practice...

Just Acquired: La Scala Autographs

Tamino Autographs is proud to announce the successful purchase of the name and inventory of La Scala Autographs! Located in located in Princeton, New Jersey, and founded in 1975 by expert autograph dealer James Camner, La Scala Autographs has been providing quality autographs to collectors for 40 years. With this...

Fragment from the Opera Comique collected by Massenet!

An especially interesting and unique historical item just added to our inventory is this fragment of wallpaper from the Paris Opera Comique collected and preserved by the great French composer Jules Massenet. This was collected by Massenet himself or at least treasured by him after the Opera Comique was burned in...

Farewell to Jon Vickers 1926-2015

On July 10th, 2015, the legendary Canadian tenor Jon Vickers died after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 88 years old. A peerless performer, showman, and friend Jon Vickers was a legendary opera singer for almost four decades. During his lengthy career, Jon accumulated many awards and accolades...

Our Visit to Puccini Sites

We recently visited Giacomo Puccini's birth house in Lucca, Italy! Located just a few kilometers wesst from Florence, Italy, the town of Lucca is a tourist attraction by itself. Surrounded by well-preserved medieval walls, Lucca still has all the flavor of an historic, small town, and it is not hard...

Detroit Symphony invites local residents to create a “Symphony” for their city

The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) and composer Tod Machover are collaborating with many of that city’s residents on a very exciting new project that aims to convey the unique “sound” of the city of Detroit. Ordinary Detroit citizens are creating and collecting sounds that will become part of the "Symphony...

Met Opera on European Tour 1910 – Signed Sheet!

In 1910, the Metropolitan Opera from New York went on their first tour to a foreign country. The chosen destination was Paris. Many of the Met Opera stars and crew members boarded in May 1910, the "Norddeutscher Lloyd", a ship from a German cruise company. This was a trip...

Just Acquired: The Roger Gross Collection of Autographs!

We are glad to announce the acquisition of the Roger Gross collection, one of the largest music autograph collections in the world. Roger Gross, who passed away in January 2013, was both a very dedicated collector and opera fan and a highly respected music autograph dealer and antiquarian. Reflecting his deep passion...

Sign Here: Collecting Signed Opera Magazines

For a long time, opera fans have been turning to opera-related publications such as programs, librettos, scores and even opera magazines, all for the purpose of getting them autographed by their favorite artists. Opera magazines offer a good option, since most feature beautiful photographs of opera stars in their covers....

Sign Here: Autograph Books!

An autograph book is simply a small notebook where someone collects autographs from others. Shown here is an autograph album page, signed by opera singer Claudia Muzio, with a short text quote from the opera "Tosca". They started to be used as early as the 16th century among students in...

Marie Taglioni, Celebrated Ballerina – Playbills

Born in Sweden from Italian parents, Marie Taglioni (1804-1884) was by far one of the most famous ballerinas of all times. Taglioni rose to fame when her father (also a dancer and teacher) created for her the famous ballet La Sylphide in 1832. Taglioni was also famous for the use...

Caruso Porcelain Figurines

Made at different times, porcelain figurines of the superstar Italian tenor (1873-1921) are valuable, sought-after collectibles that one can find in antique shops, auction houses and even flea markets around the globe. Top Line (from left to right): Caruso as Canio in Pagliacci, his signature role, first 2 from the...

THE AUTOGRAPH BLOG

Tamino Autographs at the New York Antiquarian Book Fair!

Cité de la Musique – Museum of Music in Paris – Our Visit

Musee Chopin (Chopin Museum) in Paris – Our Visit

Visit us at the New York International Antiquarian Book Fair!

Vienna Philharmonic 1926 – Large Original Etching by Ferdinand Schmutzer

Julian Gayarre – The Voice from Paradise

Just Acquired: The SW Autograph Collection!

Rediscovery of “long-lost” Granados opera

Renata Tebaldi – Mario del Monaco - Signed Handkerchief from Otello

Marc Chagall´s Poster “Die Zauberflote”

Just Acquired: The Enrico Aloi Autograph Collection

Our Visit to Beethoven´s Birth House in Bonn, Germany!

Otello “in blackface” – a dying trend?

Just Acquired: La Scala Autographs

Fragment from the Opera Comique collected by Massenet!

Farewell to Jon Vickers 1926-2015

Our Visit to Puccini Sites

Detroit Symphony invites local residents to create a “Symphony” for their city

Met Opera on European Tour 1910 – Signed Sheet!

Just Acquired: The Roger Gross Collection of Autographs!

Sign Here: Collecting Signed Opera Magazines

Sign Here: Autograph Books!

Marie Taglioni, Celebrated Ballerina – Playbills

Caruso Porcelain Figurines

Tags

Autograph Collecting Guide

Framing and Storing Autographs