Addie Joss auto?

[MiracleBraves1914]

Hi guys, I'm new to the site and joined it after reading this thread. I apologize for the length of this post, I just wanted to give proper back story to the picture I'm about to share. I'd imagine I'm one of the younger folks registered here (27), but I've been actively collecting pre-WWI baseball memorabilia since I was around 13, when someone in my small North Carolina hometown found a beautiful Joss t206 card in an old book and my mom managed to get it for me for my birthday. Joss became the main focus of my early collecting and, over the years, I feel like I've amassed a fairly decent Joss collection, between cards, premiums and newspaper clippings (many of which I've never seen elsewhere).
Naturally, as my interest grew, I began to investigate, like many of you, whether or not an autograph of his actually existed. In late 2006 or early 2007, I was fortunate enough to get to participate in an estate sale of a prominent Texas card and memorabilia dealer. Among his personal items, under glass in a nailed-shut old box, was the piece of paper you see in the picture.
The estate had not taken steps to authenticate it (as many auctions will simply look online for a comparable item for price considerations and, as we know, internet searches for "Addie Joss autograph" are rather fruitless), but as the story went, this was the old man's pride and joy and he swore up and down it was Joss's signature. Being that I also had nothing to compare it to, I bought it at a very, very reasonable price on good faith and a hunch.
Over the past few years, I've searched often for any comparison (I can't really afford the PSA system and I would be very uncomfortable putting this in the mail), and until the Old Judge auction listed the postcard a few months ago, I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get to put more than a "maybe" on this signature.
Earlier in the summer, I downloaded the high quality images of the Norman Joss postcard and waited with baited breath to finally have something to compare handwriting to. I fully expected to be disappointed. However, after looking once, shaking my head and looking again, I saw similarities in the handwriting I never would have dreamed possible. I think I may have found one of baseball's Holy Grails. Inscribed on a roughly 2x4 corner of what appears to be an old shopping list is "Addie Joss, Cleveland '11" in pen.
I'm really interested to see what you guys think about it. Most of my "baseball friends" have never even heard of him. I'm not trying to sell it, at all, but after reading this thread and seeing so many people looking for something that I'm fairly sure I've finally found, I couldn't not share the joy. Can't wait to see what you guys think!

[gnaz01]

WOW!!!!!!!!!! If this is a real Addie sig, you just won the lottery my friend!! It sure bears a VERY strong resemblance to the postcard he wrote to his son!! Good luck!!

[packs]

Man. That is something.

[Leon]

this thread is copied from the card side of the board for some comments from the autograph guys.....

[Scott Garner]

WOW! Boy, I'll tell you, that's one heck of a way to introduce yourself to net54!

Very interesting post, indeed! Good luck in your quest to have this authenticated.

BTW, there is a book that is soon to come out, which will address the autographs of all the members of the baseball Hall of Fame. I wonder if there will be another exemplar provided of Joss in the book?

Whose estate did your Joss autograph originate from, just out of curiousity?

[novakjr]

You could always compare it to this CC/Morales Joss

http://www.myccsa.com/lot/235/addie-...signature.aspx

[tbob]

I think you need to have the signature you have authenticated because there are some dissimilarities in "Joss" between the postcard and the "Joss" in your signature. Also if Kevin Keating has an authentic Addie Joss signature on file he can examine the "A" in Addie which in your example is very distinctive. I wish you the best and hope you strike gold.

[MiracleBraves1914]

Scott, I don't remember offhand the name of the man. The auction may have just been listed as "A prominent Texas...etc" but I honestly can't recall. Apparently he was involved in the hobby for around 60 years, I'll let you know if I can dig it up. Obviously, it's something I'd need to have authenticated/disproved eventually.
I'd never seen a picture of the "Respectfully yours" signature before so thank you to the user that posted it. It's great to finally have examples to compare it to, regardless of outcome, after all these years of looking. Thanks guys! This site is amazing.
-Matt

[bender07]

This is great and I hope it's genuine. The "J's" have drastic slant variations and that "A" is very unique so we'll see if Keating has one. Who wrote that book again that's coming out in the Fall? Maybe contact him?

[mschwade]

Originally Posted by tbob

I think you need to have the signature you have authenticated because there are some dissimilarities in "Joss" between the postcard and the "Joss" in your signature. Also if Kevin Keating has an authentic Addie Joss signature on file he can examine the "A" in Addie which in your example is very distinctive. I wish you the best and hope you strike gold.

I noticed the slant difference and the o in Joss on the signature connects to the first s like a cursive o usually does while the postcard's o is more like a cursive lower-case a, sort of like how Mel Ott connects his O with his t.

[mschwade]

Originally Posted by MiracleBraves1914

this was the old man's pride and joy and he swore up and down it was Joss's signature.

Can't say I know anything about Addie's handwriting, but I hope for your sake it's genuine!!! That would be an unbelievable find! Then in about 60 years, someone can say the same above quote about you