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. Joe Nickell is
the author of many books, including Detecting Forgery, Unsolved History,
and Real Life X-Files.
