He spent decades collecting Presidential signatures. Then lost them in an instant.
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Saturday, December 14, 2024


He spent decades collecting Presidential signatures. Then lost them in an instant.
In an undated image provided by Carl Sferrazza Anthony, Carl Sferrazza Anthony. Anthony, a historian, had collected the signatures of eight presidents and eight first ladies on an engraved card — he lost it in Washington last week. (Carl Sferrazza Anthony via The New York Times)

by Michael Levenson



NEW YORK, NY.- The last time Carl Sferrazza Anthony saw what he calls the most valuable thing he owns, he was sitting at a corner table at a cafe in Washington, waiting for his udon noodle soup to arrive.

Anthony, a historian of presidential families, had just come from the White House Historical Association, where he had picked up an engraved card from an aide to Jill Biden, the first lady, who had signed it last year and had kept it at the White House with a promise to have her husband sign it.

Anthony has spent three decades collecting the signatures of presidents and first ladies on the card, which is engraved with an image of the North Portico of the White House. With the addition of President Joe Biden’s signature, the card now had the signatures of eight presidents and eight first ladies — every one from the Fords to the Bidens, save for the Trumps, whom Anthony had yet to track down.

Sitting at a corner table at Teaism, a cafe across from Lafayette Square, Anthony opened the manila folder that held the card and took a photo of it inside a flimsy plastic sleeve. He texted the photo to his brothers and sisters.

“Keep it in a safe place,” his sister texted back.

After lunch, Anthony took the manila folder in hand and walked back to his hotel room less than a mile away. He went to admire the card and found it was gone — only the plastic sleeve and the manila folder remained.

“I almost thought, ‘Did I play some kind of trick on myself, or did fate?’” Anthony said in an interview on Tuesday, just over a week after he had lost on the card on July 24. “How in the world could this possibly happen? My brain exploded.”

Anthony said he had never had the collection appraised and had never thought of selling it, since he planned to keep adding signatures to it. Its value, he said, was mainly sentimental.

The signatures were symbols, Anthony said, of his diligence and the personal relationships he had forged with presidents and their spouses. The loss of the collection was previously reported by Washington Post columnist Petula Dvorak.

“I am trying to be philosophical about it, given the scope of so many people’s problems, but it’s been pretty crushing,” Anthony said. “There must be a word to describe those peculiar things that happen to us as a result of the most mundane little mechanical intricacies of life.”

Brian Kathenes, an appraiser who specializes in autographs, manuscripts, rare books and historical documents, said that a color photo signed by four presidents — Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton — as well as six first ladies had sold at Sotheby’s in 2020 for $9,375.

Anthony’s signed engraving was “probably more valuable,” as some of the presidents have died, Kathenes said. “It’s a wonderful piece of American history that might be gone forever,” he said.

Anthony said he had bought the engraved card in the mid-1990s, with only President Ronald Reagan’s signature on it. He then had it signed by Nancy Reagan, for whom he had worked as a speechwriter.

The Clintons signed it at the White House in 2001. The Fords signed it later that year when Anthony visited them in Rancho Mirage, California.




He mailed it to George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush, who mailed it back with their signatures and a cheeky note from Barbara Bush chiding him for collecting the signatures out of order.

George W. Bush and Laura Bush signed it during a joint interview they did with Anthony in the Oval Office in 2004.

In 2009, an aide in Michelle Obama’s press office took the card from Anthony at a White House gate and carried it upstairs to where the Obamas were having dinner and then took it back down to Anthony with their signatures.

After he had collected the card with Biden’s signature at the White House Historical Association on Aug. 24, he said, he walked across the street to Teaism. He was holding the manila folder gently, careful not to crush the card inside, he said.

Anthony, who lives in Los Angeles, was in Washington to read and sign copies of his latest biography, “Camera Girl: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy.”

After lunch, he walked along H Street to St. John’s Church. It was hot, and he stopped inside for a rest and sat in a pew where President Abraham Lincoln had sat, in the back corner.

He then walked to McPherson Square, where he stopped to take a photograph of the equestrian statue of James B. McPherson, a Civil War general, with birds perched on its head. It’s possible the signed engraving slipped out there, he said.

He continued to walk to Thomas Circle, where he stopped to take another photo, this time balancing a bag of salty oat cookies from Teaism and the manila folder in one hand and his camera in the other. He thinks that was most likely where he dropped it.

When he got back to his hotel room, at 1400 M Street, Northwest, he went to admire the engraving again and saw that it was gone.

He immediately went back to retrace his steps. He spoke to employees at Teaism and to a homeless man at Thomas Circle. Workers at St. John’s Church reviewed security footage, he said. Nobody had seen the card.

Anthony posted a video about his lost collection on TikTok, hoping that might help.

He said he was also offering a reward for its safe return, although he declined to say how much. He still hopes it might be found, but he is trying to keep his loss in perspective.

He said he had written a list for himself, reminding himself that no one had been hurt or killed.

“I think I feel better having lost this myself than I would had it been stolen,” he said. “And I remind myself that people lose all sorts of valuable things, including loved ones in floods and fires. I suppose, ultimately, on a certain level, this was just a piece of paper with signatures on it of people who were, and are, no more intrinsically valuable than any of us.”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.










Today's News

August 4, 2023

He spent decades collecting Presidential signatures. Then lost them in an instant.

Gagosian Rome presents an exhibition of new works by contemporary artist Alex Israel

'Chewing Gum VI' to show how globalization can dispel and dissolve cultural differences at Pace Gallery

The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza restores Fra Angelico's painting of The Virgin of Humility

European artist creates architectonic sculpture specifically for Oklahoma Contemporary

Affordable Art Fair launches new Austin location and welcomes fair director

Tate Liverpool exhibition showcases radical new approach to collecting art

Artists from four continents bring together various cultural backgrounds at Elizabeth Xi Bauer

National Nordic Museum exhibits new sculpture by Jónsi, 'Iridian light vs loom evil'

Kitenge Banza's exhibition 'Inhabiting the Imaginary' will be on view at the PHI Foundation starting today

Acclaimed British artist Noj Barker launches new art at airports with exhibitions at Heathrow and Gatwick

The Menil Collection opens "The Iconic Portrait Strand" by Nestor Topchy

Lawrence Abu Hamdan's first solo presentation in Scotland on view at Talbot Rice Gallery

With 'Talk to Me,' directors leap from phone screens to the big screen

Experience the stunning story quilts of artist Tina Williams Brewer

5 minutes that will make you love Miles Davis' electric period

Roger Sprung, banjo virtuoso of NYC folk scene, dies at 92

Hollywood writers and studios to restart talks after 3-month standoff

Paris bookstalls are told to relocate during next year's Olympics

Loughran Gallery is currently exhibiting 'Extinct' based on the childhood obsession of Dave White

'Closer' by Magda Kirk now open at the GR gallery offers a fresh twist on her traditional vision

Postpartum Self-Care Routine: 7 Ways To Help Your Mind and Body Heal

SEO Secrets for Explosive Ecommerce Growth: Unveiling the Power

Modern Architecture in Houses in the Philippines: Redefining Contemporary Living

How To Find The Right Color Code For Your Wall

How To Donate an Art Collection With This Superb Strategy

Dive Into The World Of Excitement With SBOBET's Extensive Variety Of Sports And Games

SBOBET's Features, Odds and Bonuses As The Premier Betting Platform

10 Tips for Creating Exquisite Digital Art in Photoshop: An Easy-to-Follow Guide

How the Plumbing Service Works

Dealing with the Devastating Impact of Spinal Cord Injuries in Garland

Turning Tragedy into Triumph: Legal Steps after a Bike Accident in McKinney




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Houston Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง
Motorcycle Accident Lawyer

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful