Oakland University Archives and Special Collections

Table of Contents

Summary Information

History

Scope and Contents note

Administrative Information

Collection Inventory

Summary Information

Repository

Oakland University Archives and Special Collections

Title

Autograph Collection

ID

OU.SC.AUT

Date [inclusive]

1798-1966

Extent

0.5 Linear feet

Language

English

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History

Autograph collecting (or the practice of collecting handwritten texts and signatures) started to grow in popularity in Europe at the turn of the 19th century. In America, it began in earnest in the 1810s and continued into the 20th century. The practice was driven by many different factors – from the changing value of handwriting after the spread of printed materials to fascination for celebrities. In the second half of the 19th century, people started to contact notable figures directly to request autographs. It is said that Abraham Lincoln received so many that he had secretaries write responses for him. Creating autograph albums became popular and buying / selling them became a thriving market.

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Scope and Contents note

The collection comprises a variety of documents from the late eighteenth through the twentieth centuries, most being from the first half of the twentieth century. They were collected and donated by various individuals. Little is known about the history of the collection, or how they were assembled, but at least one name appears several times in the letters – Edgar DeWitt Jones, pastor at the Central Woodward Christian Church in Detroit, who was also a passionate student of Abraham Lincoln and who seems to have been collecting letters from politicians, judges, and other characters in American political life. Jones was friends with William Springer, a fellow collector of Lincolniana, who sold his collections to Oakland University. It appears that the letters sent to Jones were transferred to OU as part of this transaction, although there is no written evidence of this. The items in this collection consist of signed official documents, correspondence, and portraits. This includes the autographs of presidents and elected officials, writers, prominent businessmen, and more. Of particular note is a holograph letter by Thomas Jefferson, with its accompanying envelope. Written in Philadelphia in 1798, when Jefferson was Vice President of the United States, the letter was addressed to David Longworth, a friend and New York printer. In it, Jefferson ordered copies of and praised Longworth’s “typographical art.” The letters are organized alphabetically by last name.Their authenticity has not been determined. For more information, see "Thomas Jefferson: American bibliophile," https://library.oakland.edu/collections/special/exhibits/Jefferson/index.html Additional autograph documents can be found in other collections, especially the William Springer collection (3 Lincoln documents) and the Donagh McDonagh papers (letters from T.S. Elliot).

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Oakland University Archives and Special Collections

Access and Use note

The Autograph Collection is open for research.

Copyright

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Processing

Processed by Dominique Daniel, January 2021.

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Collection Inventory