Page 26 - 2020 March JOA

Passing on a
Collection

By Maxine Carter-Lome, Publisher

hen my grandfather passed away in 2005, no one in the family had a clue as to
the scope, size, and value of his autograph collection, something he had started in
W1936 as best as we can tell, and passionately pursued for the next, over 60 years.
Nor did we know what to do with it.
Everyone who knew my grandfather knew of his hobby. His success in getting
autographs and personal correspondence from everyone from Supreme Court Justices to
performers of the stage and screen, athletes, politicians, prominent authors, opera singers,
and musicians over a sixty-year period of time (over 6,000 signed items in all) can directly
be attributed to the time and care he took with the personal correspondence that
accompanied each request. He was sincere, informed, reflective, and respectful – a style that
also served him well when he stopped someone he recognized on the street, in the theater,
or out in a restaurant in New York City, where he lived his entire life. He never went out
without a pen and index cards in his pocket. His collection of just 3”x5” index cards alone
contained over 1,000 autographs representing a Who’s Who of 20th century notables, from
famed icons to those only vaguely remembered for their 20 minutes of fame. He always
noted on the back of these cards when and where the autograph was obtained.
For my grandfather, the thrill was in the acquisition, a reflection of his prowess as a
collector of autographs. After being shared with whoever was around on that day, the
Maxine Carter-Lome with her Grandfather and Collector newest acquisition was then put in a folder or inside a plastic sheath with a notation
Neil Carter, 1975. Behind them is a wall of framed of its origin and date, and randomly put away in the most convenient file cabinet, drawer,
photos and personal letters from presidents dating folder, dresser … wherever he could find room. Unfortunately, he never cataloged or filed
back to Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. his autographs in any intentional way, although I’m pretty sure he knew what he had and
where to find it.
In the late 1990s, I asked my grandfather if we could go through the collection together
and I would help him catalog and organize it on my laptop, but at that time he was healthy
and active and enjoying a life in retirement that enabled him to travel and indulge passions.
He believed we had all the time in the world to get to this, and have “that” conversation.
We never did. As a result, we never knew what he wanted us to do with his autographs, and
what we should know about rare and unique items of potential value.

Cast of “Law & Order” You never know who you might meet! Neil never left the house without
index cards and pen in his pocket to take advantage of a chance encounter.

24 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles