Book description
Will the rare autographed baseball your great-uncle gave you put your
children through college? Is your grandmother's chest of drawers
really a seventeenth-century antique, or merely a reproduction? A
leader in forgery detection and forensic investigation, Joe Nickell
reveals his secrets to detecting artifacts items in Real or Fake:
Studies in Authentication. Detailing how the pros determine whether an
Abraham Lincoln signature is forged or if a photograph of Emily
Dickinson is genuine, Nickell provides the essential tools necessary
to identify counterfeits. In this general introduction to the
principles of authentication, Nickell provides readers with
step-by-step explanations of the science used to detect falsified
documents, photographs, and other objects. Illustrating methods used
on hit shows such as Antiques Roadshow and History Detectives, Nickell
recommends that aspiring investigators employ a comprehensive approach
to identifying imitations. One should consider the object's provenance
(the origin or derivation of an artifact), content (clues in the scene
or item depicted), and material composition (what artifacts are made
of), as well as the results of scientific analyses, including
radiographic, spectroscopic, microscopic, and microchemical tests.
Including fascinating cases drawn from Nickell's illustrious career,
Real or Fake combines historical and scientific investigations to
reveal reproductions and genuine objects. Nickell explains the warning
signs of forgery, such as patching and unnatural pen lifts; chronicles
the evolution of writing instruments, inks, and papers; shows readers
how to date photographs, papers, and other materials; and traces the
development of photographic processes since the mid-nineteenth
century. Lavishly illustrated with examples of replicas and authentic
objects inspected by Nickell, Real or Fake includes case studies of
alleged artifacts including Jack the Ripper's diary, a draft of the
Gettysburg Address, notes by Charles Dickens, Jefferson Davis's
musket, and debris from the Titanic.
""If you are interested in antiques then this book is a
nice addition to your library." --The Lone Star" --
Joe Nickell is the author of many books, including Detecting
Forgery, Unsolved History, and Real Life X-Files.
