Removing fake autograph from vintage photo
 

I won Lot 1 in last night's RMY auction - cool Gehrig photo with a signature/inscription from Mrs. Gehrig.

http://rmyauctions.com/bids/bidplace?itemid=26525

-How hard will it be to remove the ink from this?
-Should I even attempt it myself or pay a professional to do it?
-And if I do get it removed and then submit to PSA for authentication will they "qualify" it somehow?

I recall posts about this subject in the past but would love to hear from someone who has attempted this. Obviously it's a pretty cool photo and I don't want to ruin it. But leaning strongly towards removing the fake stuff.

Thanks and Happy Fathers day to the dads out there.

If it was signed by a true forger or a little kid, I might think about removing it...but if it's definitely Eleanor that signed it, then I'd leave it if it was me.

True maybe a tougher call and I should give it more thought.

I would think the inscription has historical significance in and of itself. I wouldn't touch it. But if you want to, there are people who likely could do it and leave no trace.

Leave it alone.

Agreed. It's not forged but ghost signed by his wife. I'd keep it as is and enjoy the connection to him.

Leave it alone. There's a difference between a forgery and what you have. If it bothers you that much, sell it to another collector who can appreciate it for what it is and buy another Gehrig photo.

Steve,
that is a great item just as is. I say leave it alone.

Don't remove it. It's not a true "forgery". By the way, whomever consigned this to RMY made a nice little profit. I believe it was purchased a month or so ago in Mears Auctions for like $500ish....

I will leave it as is. Thanks for all the comments. Was consigned by a board member I am pretty sure.

I realize the historical significance of the Eleanor signature, however I have a sneaking suspicion it would have sold for multiples of what I paid for it had it not bore her inscription. Whether its $500 or $900, that's way cheap for that portrait of Lou. Putting aside the historical importance of her signature and the story behind it, unsigned this is a pretty top tier Gehrig photo.

As a photograph, rather than an autograph person, I would prefer the signature not be there-- However, I'd leave it there, because it might be hard and expensive to remove and the signature may still be viewable. Plus, for a photograph the Mrs. Gehrig provenance is nice.

These days, many artists put their signatures on the back of the photo or painting rather than the front, so as to not distract.