Has anyone seen a Don The Beachcomber (aka Donn Beach) Autograph?

Figured this is a good section to post this. I have seen hundreds of Trader Vic signed items, but NEVER a Donn Beach in 10+ years of collecting. Has anyone seen one?

[ Edited by: Hearn 2012-03-04 04:39 ]

[ Edited by: Hearn 2012-03-04 04:40 ]

Aloha,

Yes I own such an item. I have a record album of Hawaiian Music 78 R.P.M. records that Donn signed to Phil and Alice Harris in 1946 as a Chrismas gift. It is pictured in Waikiki Tiki. I believe Dug Miller also has one but I do not know to whom Donn signed that one to.

There is also the passport to the "Sunday Feast of the Islands Luau" that reproduces Donn's hand... but not usually signed in his actual hand...

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[ Edited by: Phillip Roberts 2012-03-04 17:37 ]

I recently acquired this Don the Beachcomber menu which was purportedly signed by Donn. There's a few curious things about it:

1. It's signed in ballpoint pen, which likely dates it to post-1955 when ballpoint became very popular. Although ballpoint pens were in use post-WWII, so this isn't conclusive.
2. The menu is from the Waikiki location, which dates it to post 1947.
3. The prices in the menu would appear to me to date to to around the early 1950s, but since the menus were never dated very accurately it's hard to tell.
4. The signature and salutation are firm and flowing—there's no pausing, lifting, or hesitance, which are often indications of a forgery.
5. It's signed Don. This threw me at first, but Don apparently tended to use this spelling. It shows up in the signed Christmas card in Waikiki Tiki (which appears to be in Sunny's hand, but spells his name as Don). His later wife, Phoebe, also used this spelling.
6. The only signature that I could find online is the one above. A forger would likely copy the style as well as the spelling. It's the same style, but a different spelling.
7. The items came from an estate sale with other Hawaiian items (none of which were signed).

All things considered, I'm guessing it's genuine, but I'm certainly curious to hear what others think.

[ Edited by: TikiTacky 2014-05-23 12:38 ]

Hard to believe someone would forge signing a menu Aloha. I could see a mass produced invite or a printed menu signature being fake. This seems like someone saw Don and had him sign a menu. Can't imagine the scenario or reason why this would be forged. There's no reason... Anyhow, I would venture this to be legit!

Seems to match general look of Philip Roberts' sample. I vote legit also. A very cool item.

Tacky,

Here is a signature from Donn circa 1940 that sold on ebay compared to the one you posted.

Forensic science would say that the do not match? Now, I know my signature changed a lot over the years, so who's to say.

DC

I have a signed menu and I think it looks like the menu above. Signed very quickly I am sure. Very sloppy.

My autographed menu. The Aloha is telling in all these.

The Ebay one seems the least likely. The D is written very differently. In all the others the D is ended at the top and continues from there. In this one it ends at the bottom and goes to the o.

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[ Edited by: Swanky 2014-07-22 08:29 ]

[ Edited by: Swanky 2014-07-22 08:30 ]

On 2014-07-22 08:26, Swanky wrote:
The Ebay one seems the least likely. The D is written very differently. In all the others the D is ended at the top and continues from there. In this one it ends at the bottom and goes to the o.

I agree. I think the letter was signed by a secretary or an assistant.

Here is a Donn Beach autograph from a newspaper ad. Would seem to confirm the menus as original and the letter as a fake.

DC