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Autograph

language culture Maturity 11-13 Next article →

An autograph is a person's own handwriting.

Franzl Lang
Franzl Lang

The word comes from two Ancient Greek words. One part is autós, which means "self." The other part is gráphō, which means "write." An autograph can be a simple signature. It can also be a whole document. This is a manuscript written by the author. This is different from a book made by a machine.

B-a-c-h Reger
B-a-c-h Reger

Some people call these holographs too. This means the person wrote the whole thing by hand. They did not use a copyist or a machine to type it.

Collecting autographs is a very popular hobby.

Franzl Lang
Franzl Lang

People enjoy finding the marks of famous people. There are many different kinds of people to collect. You might look for signatures from movie stars. You might seek marks from famous athletes. Some collectors want names from presidents or soldiers. Others look for signs from scientists and astronauts. You can even collect marks from religious leaders or authors.

We can find very old examples of this writing.

B-a-c-h Reger
B-a-c-h Reger

The oldest one is a Sumerian clay tablet. This tablet is from about 3100 BC. It includes the name of a scribe named Gar.Ama. We have not found many other ancient autographs. One famous mark is from El Cid. That mark is from the year 1098. These old pieces help us see the past.

There are many ways to see a signature.

B-a-c-h Reger
B-a-c-h Reger

Some signatures are even carved into stone. For example, there is a memorial for signers. It shows the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. These are depicted on stone blocks. This shows how a signature can be more than just ink. It can be a lasting part of a monument.

An autograph connects us to a person's work.

Franzl Lang
Franzl Lang

It shows the way a person actually wrote. You can see the hand of a musician like Max Reger. He wrote a document in 1912. He even wrote a special note about music. These marks are special because they are unique. They are a direct link to a person's own hand.

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