Autographs

"Pas de documents, pas d'histoire."
Without documents there is no history.
Fustel de Coulanges

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A Note & Glossary

Main Street Fine Books & Manuscripts maintains a large inventory consisting of many thousands of documents in every field of human endeavor. All autographs are guaranteed authentic for the life of the item. We grade condition conservatively, and note all relevant flaws. New collections and single items are constantly being acquired, so check back often or sign up to receive an email when new material is added in your area of interest. We welcome inquiries regarding any persons not listed here, as there is always a backlog of material awaiting cataloging.
Our descriptions and grading conform to The Manuscript Society Criteria for Describing Manuscripts and Documents. Following are the most commonly used abbreviations:

ALS

Autograph Letter Signed; entirely in the hand of the author

Letter Signed; signed by the author, but with body of letter in another hand

TLS

Typed Letter Signed

Autograph Letter; no signature present

ANS

Autograph Note Signed; same as an ALS, but shorter

ADS

Autograph Document Signed; normally a legal or public document, entirely in the author's hand

Document Signed; same as the above, but with the text in another hand

TDS

Typed Document Signed; same as the above, but with a typed text

Note Signed; short message signed by the author, with text in another hand

AMS

Autograph Manuscript Signed; entirely in the author's hand

Manuscript Signed; same as the above, but with the text in another hand

TMS

Typed Manuscript Signed; same as the above, but with a typed text

AQS

Autograph Quotation Signed; often a poetry excerpt or other memorable statement, entirely in the author's hand

AES

Autograph Endorsement Signed; endorsement in the author's hand, usually on the verso or margin of another letter

AMuQS

Autograph Musical Quotation Signed; passage from a music score, in the hand of the composer

AMuQ

Autograph Musical Quotation; same as the above, but unsigned

MuQS

Musical Quotation Signed; same as the above, signed and with the musical notes or lyrics in another hand

Photograph Signed

IPS

Inscribed Photograph Signed; same as the above, but including a dedication in the author's hand

n.y.

No year

n.d.

No date (month and day)

n.p.

No place

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