Who signed the first secretarial or clubhouse signature?

[frankbmd]

1-Jesse 3.jpg

Twenty-five years ago i visited Cooperstown and portrayed myself as a descendant of Jess Burkett. They granted me access, as a relative to the HOF library. They brought out the Burkett file for my review. Honestly there wasn't much in it. They did allow me to xerox a copy of several items however.

The letter above was one of the items I copied. The letter itself is a copy as the original that is in the Hermann file. It appears to be handwritten and in the same hand as the signature, but what do I know.

The question I raise is that of the history of secretarial and/or clubhouse autographs. When did these practices begin? Was anybody besieging Burkett with autograph requests during his time in Worcester following his playing career.

1-Burkett Trimmed.jpg

He also returned as a coach of the Giants in 1921. Was he besieged by autograph requests upon returning to New York?

I don't expect anyone knows for sure, but when did this form of signature (by other than the name signed) enter the baseball autograph market?

[theshleps]

Secretarial signatures on business letters may have always happened as in the above. I have seen ones of Heilbroner, etc. As to when they started for autograph requests I am not sure. It is interesting when my son batboyed in the AZ fall league maybe 10 years ago a not very top prospect asked my son to sigh all his mail (he didn't). I also have a patient who was an NHL star. When ever he would come in I would give him a handful of cards to sign. Once when his wife came along- she grabbed them and started to sign them.

[clydepepper]

All I know is that the one time I even mentioned secretarial or clubhouse, I got me head chewed off.

At the risk of having the same treatment, I believe the practice is wide-spread.


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[timzcardz]

With Frank starting this I was going to go with . . . Alfalfa in the He Man Woman Haters Clubhouse.