[ATP]

Hoping to elicit some discussion on this one. For about a year and a half, I have been operating under the assumption that there is a possibility that Rube Marquard's wife was ghost signing for him towards the end of his life. I personally collect T206 player autographs, and I like Marquard, so always took interest in him. When first looking over all of the signed T206 cards that existed of him, a couple jumped out as just not looking at all like the others, I initially dismissed it as being signed at different eras, but to me the handwriting just didn't seem the same.

Last year, I had initially made the decision to purchase a signed T205 Marquard. I loved the idea of the card because I hadn't seen him on a T205, and I was buying it directly from the collector who mailed it to him to be signed in the late 1970's. Upon further review, it looked like a couple of the other signed T206's that had bothered me. We investigated further, the collector had also sent Marquard index cards to be signed at the same time. The index that was sent back along with the cards is vastly different (I have included it in the photos below, next to the T205). I suppose it could have been presigned long in advance to send for mail requests (I have heard this theory before, and someone once said they received one quite awhile after he had passed).

The ones I am bothered by are those that have the straight up and down "stick" to form the "R" in Rube. Every other autograph you find of Marquard, whether it's on an index, photo, ball, and most T206 are made with a circular one stroke motion. Even some of the signed T206's that look very labored have this circular start, but the two notated ones and the T205 do not. The bottom right on the b is also very tight and much different than usual, and the slant looks very dissimilar. The finish to his name with the flourish under the d is nothing the same and looks forced, in the T205 it isn't present at all. Notice also start of the R underneath that was left and a second attempt was made above (something that may have happened when you are not used to signing a card, Marquard it seems usually finished his signature if there wasn't enough space by wrapping around if necessary). Lastly, I am including an example of both Rube and his wife's handwriting for comparisons sake.

Hoping to hear some thoughts on this or if others have examples they may be willing to share. Perhaps I am barking up the wrong tree on this but it has been on my mind enough over the past year that I figure it's time to ask others.