Pearl Bailey distributed at least one fake autograph photo when she responded to fan mail.  I don't blame her!  She was pretty busy being a great American actress and singer.  She was born March 29, 1918 in Southampton County, Virginia, and she died August 17, 1990, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  Her movies include "Porgy and Bess" in 1959, "Carmen Jones" in 1954, "The Landlord" in 1970 and "Norman...Is That You?" in 1976.  Did you know she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on October 17, 1988?

The fake autograph example below is an 8" x 10" black and white photo with a printed autograph.  The autograph is not authentic; it is a photograph of an autographed photo.  I obtained this when I wrote her a fan letter on September 24, 1986.  My request was sent to her address at Lake Havasu City, Arizona.  She was nice enough to respond with a printed autographed photo on October 14, 1986.

You can tell it's printed because when you hold the photo up to the light and bend it over the signature, you can see the glossy sheen of the photo lies above the portrait and the autograph.  If it was a real autograph, the autograph would appear to "float" above the picture.  Here's a close-up of the item:

If you see any photos like this with an identical autograph signed "Love Pearl Baily", be assured it's not authentic.

Why do I care about this stuff?  Because I am an autograph freak.  I've studied autographs for years.  I've published results in my own newsletters like "Autograph Research" and "Space Autograph News".  I've also written for other publications like "Autograph Collector", "The Autograph Collector's Magazine", "The Pen and Quill" published by the Universal Autograph Collector's Club, "The Autograph Review" and "The Astrophile" published by the Space Topic Study Group.

When you're buying an autograph, you deserve to know if it's real or not real.

Thanks for taking a moment to review my guide.  Now I have a small favor to ask.  See that question below that asks, "Was this guide helpful?" with the "Yes" and "No" buttons.  I sure would appreciate it if you could click the "Yes" or the "No" button.  Not too many people leave any feedback, but if you do, I think you're cool!  Have a great day!