Charles Hamilton
Personal Information
Description
Charles Hamilton was born in Ludington, Michigan, and raised in Flint, Michigan. At age 12, he collected his first autograph, that of Rudyard Kipling. During World War II, he served in the US Army Air Corps. In 1952 he began to specialize in identifying handwriting and autographs. In 1963 he opened an auction gallery called Charles Hamilton Galleries in New York City. He wrote many books, including The Signature of America: A Fresh Look at Famous Handwriting (1979). He became a leading handwriting expert, known for his ability to spot forgeries, and he became engaged in several notable controversial cases.
Books
The signature of America
Take an excursion into the secret past of America through the signatures of prigs and perverts, poets and presidents. Hamilton was an autograph dealer and auctioneer, and he gives background on some of the most interesting pieces in his collection.
Big name hunting
An introduction to autograph collecting with instructions on building and organizing a collection.
Cry of the thunderbird: the American Indian's own story
The personal narratives of Indians from various tribes reveal their ways of life as well as their attitudes toward nature and man.
Scribblers & scoundrels
Personal experiences in the world of autograph and manuscript collecting by a dealer and auctioneer.
Lincoln in photographs
Based largely on the Frederick Hill Meserve and the Ostendorf collections with appropriate commentary on each photograph.