The Autographs and Collectible Memorabilia Blog

Manuel García Senior (1775-1832), Patriarch of a Singing Dynasty

Although 18th century Spain produced many distinguished artists, only a handful of them reached long-standing stardom and exerted significant influence over bel canto. In the 17th century - and contrarily to Italy, France, or Germany - Spain was primarily the cradle of zarzuelas. These include the baroque zarzuelas, which arguably...

Paul Dukas – The Great French Composer and a Critic

A French composer, scholar, critic, and teacher of composition, Paul Abraham Dukas was born on October 1, 1865. A diligent man with a modest personality, Paul was an intense self-critic. While he wrote lots of music in various genres, he only accepted a few that were satisfying. The Sorcerer's Apprentice...

Opera Singers Who Died in the Holocaust

On 30 January 1933, life changed for every German citizen and for some, very dangerously indeed. Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party was declared the only legal political entity in Germany, and they began to put their plans in place for segregating everyone who did not fit their "Aryan" ideal. These people...

Grand Opera - The Story of the Met by Charles and Mirella Affron - Book Review

Review of the book Grand Opera - The Story of the Metropolitan Opera by Charles Affron and Mirella Affron.

Top 15 Famous Violinists of All Time

Violin playing technique and styles have evolved drastically and considerably over the past 300 years from the time of Giuseppe Tartini in the late 1600s till to-day. Many violinists have left a lasting legacy on the world of violin playing but only a few can truly claim their title as...

Marilyn Monroe Memorabilia - The Testament of an Icon

Marilyn Monroe was an icon. Even today, nearly 60 years after her death, Ms. Monroe's legacy endures and likely always will. Despite numerous efforts to replicate her fame — Marilyn Monroe, nee Norma Jean Mortenson, stands out among Hollywood royalty. Here she is depicted in a famous scene in the...

Opera Tenors: Top Historical Spanish Singers

MANUEL DEL POPULO VICENTE GARCIA (Sevilla 1775 - Paris 1832) A tenor of historic importance, the creator of Almaviva in the world premiere of Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia in 1816. He also excelled as composer and teacher of singing, and wrote one of the most important and referential treatises...

Anna Pavlova: Her Life and Career...in Color!

Anna Pavlova is one of the most famous ballerinas in the history of the artform. Born in Russia, she dazzled audiences around the world in the late 19th and early 20th centuries with her artistry, grace, and athleticism. She was also a woman ahead of her time in other ways....

What Are the Factors that Determine Autograph Values?

Ok, so in another article, we have described how the value of an autograph can be estimated by comparisons. Here we discuss in a little bit more detail the factors affecting the value of your autograph item. And the most important factor is (hear drums): COST If you are a...

Archival Framing: 10 Best Recommendations to Protect your Autographs

As collectors and autograph dealers, we regularly come across framed historical photographs and documents, which have to be removed from the frame. WHAT IS ARCHIVAL FRAMING? Archival framing is a type of work done to place your items in a frame (framing) using a certain quality of materials and methods....

Frame Shop Selection: Finding the Best Frame Shop for Your Autographs

Like other forms of goods and services advertising, we are inundated with countless ads for framing services by arts and crafts chains as well as local mom and pop framing stores. These ads show you pictures of framed artwork and maybe even the interior of their stores with their attractive displays. However, behind...

Opera vs Operetta vs Musical...What's the Difference?

Like many artforms, the dividing lines between stage works including music are blurred. Learn about the differences between opera vs operetta vs musical

Book "The Performances of Richard Strauss Operas in the 20th Century" - In 2 Volumes

During a hot weekend in August 1973 I sat on my terrace and lookedthrough old magazines not yet read and found an article which stated that one has to choose his hobby for the time after retiring at the latest at the age of forty, otherwise it will not work....

Strange Collectibles: Odd Things that People Collect

From rare coins and autographs to vintage comic books and valuable documents, collectors carefully acquire and catalogue a wide variety of items. Hobbyists often see collecting as an enjoyable way to spend their free time. Some collectors are motivated by the investment value. Others do it for the sheer love...

Farewell to Christa Ludwig

Christa Ludwig, one of the greatest mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century, passed away at the age of 93 at her home in Klosterneuburg, Austria. Ms. Ludwig was a renowned singer and stage actor who brought power and charisma to every song and role. Her career spanned close to half a...

Percy Grainger – Pianist and Champion of Folk Music

Australian-born pianist and composer Percy Grainger is often credited with helping to revive interest in British folk music in the early 20th century. His work and his personal life were colorful, leaving behind a legacy that people continue to discuss. Explore the life of Percy Grainger to gain more insight...

The Violin Prodigy Child of Our Time

One of the most common criteria for identifying a child prodigy is someone who, by roughly ten years, shows an unusual grasp or proficiency in fundamentals in an area mostly undertaken by adults. Violin child prodigy is the most vaunted child prodigies. Are these children born with these special talents,...

Autograph Value: How to Find It and Other Autograph Worth Questions

Have you wondered how to find the price of a celebrity autograph you found or want to buy, or are you just curious? There are several methods to find values, some more accurate than others, some easy and fast, some complicated, some free, and others may cost you money. Here we...

The Liebig Trade Cards: The Opera Series

The collectible cards of the Liebig Meat Extract Company were not only extremely popular when they were first released in 1872, but remain so to this day even over a hundred years later, In a time before commercial travel and mass information, they provided an eye-opening window to the wider...

Dennis Brain: British Horn Player

The middle decades of the twentieth century saw some tragic premature losses to British music-making: contralto Kathleen Ferrier at only 41, flautist Laurie Kennedy at just 24, and perhaps the most famous of French horn soloists, Dennis Brain. The Family Dennis Brain was born into a dynasty of French horn...

Picture Frame Glass Options for your Paper Collectibles

When it comes to picture framing, many people focus on the frame design and overlook glazing — one of the most important decisions to make in framing. Choosing the right glass for your picture frame can impact how your photos look. Also, it determines how long your collectibles will...

Belgian Opera Singers

A Selection of the Most Renowned Performers An independent country since 1830, Belgium is nested at the heart of Europe with Brussels playing host to European Union institutions, NATO and other international organizations. Due to their nation’s political and linguistic peculiarities, many Belgian artists were heralded as French or Dutch and still today, confusions...

Old Photographs: The Evolution of Photographic Formats

Old photographs and their formats. different photographic formats spanning from the beginning of the 19th century until the end of it.

Operatic Glories from the Opera-Comique

What is “Opéra Comique”? It is a French “musical genre” alternating sung passages with spoken sections, as opposed to opera, which is entirely sung (e.g. “Carmen” vs. “Tosca”). It is also a theater in Paris. From its humble inception through a royal decree by King Louis XIV (1714), to its...