I decided to get a Kellie Martin autograph and photo to display on my wall. I had to custom frame them to ensure proper spacing between the autograph and photo since they’re two different pieces. Spacing, mat size, and the frame, all work together in creating a good presentation.
I’ve been wondering; why do we as a society yearn for memorabilia? Specifically autographs. I don’t think it is idolatry necessarily, but for some people that in fact can be the case. That is, putting anything above the creator God. As Miss Alice says it’s important that we do not place such things or people on a pedestal. We seem to admire celebrities and can occasionally be let down by them in what they do. Sometimes, we see them as the character they once portrayed in a TV show or movie. Not a unique person set apart from their job.
Maybe an autograph is more than a simple stroke of a pen. It can represent their authority in specific situations for financial information or as we want, memorabilia. You can use the analogy of taking a photograph. No matter how many photos you take, each one is different and never exactly the same. They may look similar, however they’re all created at a different time even down to the thousands of a second. I think that may be how we unknowingly see autographs. An attachment of an actors work and that autograph is their own work of art. It is specific and you will never find another the same. Excluding copies of an autograph.
I purchased this autograph from eBay, but the website is inundated with thieves that want to sell fake autographs. However, the autograph was authenticated by JSA, a highly reputable authentication company. I wanted to verify it myself and sent it to Beckett Authentication to be examined. It all turned out to be a legitimate autograph. Actors and actresses autographs can change all the time. Some of Kellie’s earliest roles at a young age were from the show “Highway to Heaven” and of course, “Life Goes On.” So an actor’s autograph must undoubtedly change from such a young age into an adult. However even the best companies can and do make mistakes. You’ll really never know, unless you’re standing right next to the person. But I believe at the end of the day, you just don’t want to be taken advantage of. You’re wanting that art (the autograph) to be as real as the Mona Lisa, or as in this case Kellie’s autograph.
It’s never my intention to sell my Kellie Martin autograph. Some fans make it their job to obtain autographs just to sell them. It’s no wonder Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones), has gotten angry many times at several autograph hunters, because selling them was their only goal. He was interested in his real fans. My understanding is that the cast and crew on the set of Christy was low-key in a sense because, well, Hollywood was nowhere to be found. It must have been a different atmosphere. Like Christy said, it was probably like another world.
My autograph is merely a small token of art to be enjoyed along side my love of Christy. It’s the next best thing to meeting the cast, which many of us may never get to do. Hopefully you have memorabilia or autographs to enjoy from Christy or any of your favorite shows.
I have talked to the creator of the Sliders TV series on the phone and texted with him as well. He told me to text him any time. I’ve had in-person interaction with an actor, as well as private online conversations—like many of you, I’m sure. I’ve even had the actor Jerry O’Connell pull his car off to the side of the road just to do a rewatch with myself and those that follow me. I must tell you that those interactions and messages mean more than any autograph ever could.
They’re more valuable than ink on paper. I may have nothing to show for it, but it’s stamped in my mind—not to boast about, but to tell my story of how human interaction always rises above ink on paper. For Christy it is the story. It’s a message. It’s an example. An autograph can remind us of that, but never have the full impact from an actor’s positive messages and interaction with you. These things are meaningful and could change your life. An autograph is the art to be appreciated, symbolizing an actor’s work. Happy autograph collecting.
