Company
Profile & Services
Based
on over thirty-five years of experience with historical manuscripts,
our company can offer expert advice and service to both private and
institutional collectors.
Inventory:
We specialize
in American historical autographs of all types, from the colonial
era through the twentieth century, but also have autographs from other
nations and in most subject areas. The individuals represented range
from Presidents, royalty, and other government leaders, to scientists
and inventors, financiers and industrialists, military and naval officers,
religious figures, reformers, explorers, aviators, and significant
figures in literature and the arts. We have autographs of Signers
of the Declaration of Independence, important American Revolution
and Civil War personalities, Supreme Court Justices, and famous women.
The
authenticity of every autograph we sell is meticulously researched
and is unconditionally guaranteed.
Please
note that we do not handle any sports, movie star, or contemporary
celebrity autographs.
Background:
Catherine
Barnes holds a Ph.D. in history from Columbia University, where she
was awarded several distinguished fellowships and published a prize-winning
dissertation. Her extensive scholarly research in manuscripts, beginning
in 1970, sparked her love of autographs and gave her the expertise
to evaluate their historical content and significance. She began working
as an autograph dealer in 1981, and in 1985, established her own business
as a full-time dealer, specializing exclusively in autograph and manuscript
material.
We belong
to the Professional Autograph Dealers Association (PADA) and to the
Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), trade organizations
requiring adherence to the highest professional and ethical standards.
Ms. Barnes served as president of PADA from 1999-2002 and was for
many years a member of its Board of Directors.
Services:
Working
with Collectors: We enjoy offering guidance on all aspects
of autograph collecting and helping customers build collections that
match their interests and tastes. To accommodate different collectors'
needs, we handle autographs of all types - from signatures to letters
and documents to signed photos and signed books - and at all price
levels. In every case, we strive to offer interesting material in
good condition that is carefully authenticated, accurately described,
and fairly priced.
Wants
Lists: We invite collectors to advise us of their current
areas of interest. We maintain want lists, and many autographs are
offered, as they become available, directly to customers who have
informed us of their interests. We can also search for specific items
for you.
New
Inventory via Online and Postal Catalogues: We regularly
present new autographs in our inventory on our web site; these online
catalogues provide detailed, well-researched descriptions of each
item and images of most (see our Inventory
Online section). When new catalogues are posted, we email brief
announcements to those collectors for whom we have email addresses.
At the same time, we send out printed lists with shorter descriptions
of these offerings via postal mail to customers who have provided
us with their mailing addresses. Send us an email
or use our Contact page to sign up
for these email and postal notices.
Purchasing
Autographs: We are active buyers of historical autographs,
and we purchase both single items and entire collections, large or
small. We invite you to let us know of any material you have for sale.
See our Selling Your Autographs page for
details.
Gifts:
Autographs make unique and wonderful gifts, and we love
to find the right one for each person for any special occasion. Please
contact us to let us know of your needs and the particular interests
of the recipient. If you are unsure what the recipient would like
best, gift certificates are available.
Visits:
Our office is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Visitors are
most welcome, but by prior appointment only, please.
Autograph
Highlights:
Click
here to learn about a few of the many
exceptional autographs we have handled over the years.
Testimonials:
"What
I learned very quickly is that Catherine Barnes is one of the most
highly respected, and knowledgeable, people in her field. She was
recommended by two major print dealers who assured me of her expertise.
She produces an impressive catalogue which gets wide circulation to
a broad and serious clientele. Her research is impeccable, and she
has established herself as one of the top dealers in a variety of
historical documents, signatures, and letters." L.L., Massachusetts
"There
is no one in the entire autograph business who is more respected than
you." C.L., New Jersey
"Fantastic
item and perfect service from you - the best dealer I know."
A.W., Germany
"I
have really appreciated working with you and the highly professional
manner in which you dealt with all the details." P.M., Canada
"I
am highly delighted with the purchase, first rate packaging, excellent
prompt service; it’s an absolute pleasure to do business with
you." M.D., England
"I
am always impressed by your professionalism." R.H., New York
/ "Thanks for the great service as usual." P.K., Illinois
/ "As always, you do a great job of researching, cataloguing,
shipping."
H.S., New York
