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.
