Good for you, Wim
I also looked at the examples given by Randy, and honestly, I don't feel I'm an
expert yet. In fact, I don't fully understand what I'm looking at. How about
other MOPOers?
Zeev
----- Original Message -----
From: bqjansen
To: MoPo-L@LISTSERV.AMERICAN.EDU
Sent: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 6:07 AM
Subject: Re: [MOPO] Vintage Poster Authentication
Thanks Randall. Now this is something I can actually use.
Wim
Op 29 sep 2009, om 07:25 heeft Randall Petersen het volgende geschreven:
With regard to the current uproar about movie poster forgeries, I am
surprised that there has been virtually no discussion of what to me is a very
straightforward way for virtually anyone to personally evaluate a supposedly
vintage poster or lobby card for authenticity.
Although modern printing techniques have indeed become so good that
forgeries can often fool the naked eye, the same is not true when viewed under
a microscope. Under even low power magnification, the differences between
stone litho printing, offset printing, inkjet printing and other techniques
become glaringly obvious, such that even an amateur (like myself) can discern
them easily.
Here are a couple of examples (photomicrographs) of stone litho printing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/rkpetersen/poster%20analysis/DSCN4134.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/rkpetersen/poster%20analysis/DSCN4137.jpg
Notice the variability in size and spacing of the individual 'greasy' marks
created by the litho crayon. Stone litho printing is very distinctive under the
scope.
Here's an example of photogelatin printing, used for vintage lobby cards
from the 30's onward:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/rkpetersen/poster%20analysis/DSCN6479.jpg
This photo unfortunately doesn't show it overly well, but with photogelatin
printing technique, under the scope you clearly see a pattern of fine
reticulations, almost like a spider web or sponge, caused by the gelatin drying
and cracking.
Here are older and newer examples of color offset printing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/rkpetersen/poster%20analysis/DSCN4138.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/rkpetersen/poster%20analysis/DSCN6467.jpg
Note that the ink dots of three different colors are evenly spaced,
although offset from each other. The dots vary in size depending on the amount
of ink deposited. Although there are many different forms of offset printing,
the nuances of which I don't pretend to understand, as far as I know, all of
them involve evenly space ink dots.
Here's an example of inkjet printing:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v370/rkpetersen/poster%20analysis/DSCN6472.jpg
Notice how each 'dot' is actually elongated into a smear, due to the rapid
back and forth movement of the print head, which also results in a definite
'grain' to the image. Ralph DeLuca had an even better example of this on his
website, from one of the fake Black Cat lobby cards. He posted the link here
awhile ago although the image doesn't seem to be there anymore.
This is very easy stuff to learn, and all it requires is a small handheld
scope, in the 50-100X range. You can get one with a built-in light off ebay for
ten or twenty bucks. With it, you can inspect a poster properly. For example,
under the scope, the printing on a forged lobby card (like that Black Cat) done
on a high quality inkjet printer would look nothing like a lobby printed with
photogelatin technique. I have a Creature From The Black Lagoon lobby that is
almost too mint to be real; I became suspicious of it for other reasons as
well. However, this card was clearly done with photogelatin technique. So I
consider it to be authentic, unless someone provides verifiable evidence to the
contrary. On the other hand, as Todd has mentioned, if all known authentic
Dracula onesheets are stone lithos and yet the one Profiles in History is
auctioning is color offset, I would consider that fairly damning evidence that
this poster is not authentic (although perhaps not intentionally forged).
Certainly it wouldn't hurt for anyone who is at all concerned about the
authenticity of their collection (or of potential future acquisitions) to
obtain and learn to use a small hand microscope. I've found it to be useful on
many occasions.
Randy Petersen
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