How should I frame this?

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:08am

I have an autograph that I would like to frame.

The signatures are inside the title pages of the book - two different pages are signed by Hal Prince and Michael Bennett. Should I figure out a way to frame the entire book (it's thin), or should I disconnect the pages and frame them that way?

I am completely not creative when it comes to stuff like this. People who have good taste in framing or suggestions on how I can maintain it's integrity, feel free to respond.

Thanks guys.

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:18am

This is going to sound awful, but this is what I would do.

I'd have high-quality copies made of the pages with the sigs. Then I'd have them matted and framed together.

I would save the book as is, "package" it properly so it would be well-protected and preserved, and store it in a safe place.

I understand that you want to display the REAL thing, but you compromise the item as soon as you tear it apart; plus displaying it can really wear it down. I know it's "not the same" if you hang up a "copy," so it's up to you. I just don't see how you can display both names if they are on 2 different pages without destroying the book.

[neddyfrank2]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:21am

I would go with Miss Pennywise's advice.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:25am

How does framing hurt the item?

Well, Hal's signature is on the left page, Michael's on the right. When the book is open, you can see both of them. That might make it easier?

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:31am

OH! In that case, you could have it mounted in a "shadowbox" type of frame. It's a box with a glass cover and whatever kind of frame around it you want. The Book can be displayed in a number of ways inside without hurting it.

When you do hang something on a wall, you have to be careful about light, weatherproofing, etc. because the elements can cause the ink and pages to fade. I know an art curator who NEVER buys watercolors because they wither with time.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:34am

Thank you!

[miss pennywise]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:46am

Here are two views of the "memory case" as it is called on the Michael's site (and the link to the page on the website.)




Michael's Memory Cases

[ashley0139]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 7:52am

Shadowboxes were my first thought too. They work perfectly.

[Elphaba]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 10:32am

and whatever you do....NEVER LAMINATE any autographs......Steve has letters to him from Lucy, Katherine Hepburn, and Donna Reed......and the, er..ah...."dummy" laminated them making their value to collectors basically useless.

[Mamie]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 10:49am

Agree.... and NEVER remove them from the book. You'll lose 90% of the value if you do that.

[Patronus]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 10:50am

Ah, Donna Reed. ::sigh::

Yeah, the Shadowboxes are nice and the ones you get at places like Michael's are decent, but if money isn't so much of an issue I'd recommend getting it professionally framed with acid-free backing and a non-glare plexiglass.

I actually have a framer here in LA that only is open to the public three days a week because she does framing for several movie studios and does fantastic work. I've had her do high quality framing on a lot of items for cheaper than what places like Aaron Brothers and Michaels wanted to charge for cheap amatuerish framing.

Here is an item I have in a shadowbox frame:

Updated On: 10/21/06 at 10:50 AM

[Elphaba]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 11:23am

Stephen, Steve was close friends with Donnas daughter for years, til they had a falling out.

[Patronus]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 11:32am

I think I remember you saying that once before.

Donna Reed was my first crush as a kid. I was the weird kid who had pictures of Alyssa Milano hanging on my wall in the late 80s along side shots of Donna Reed and June Lockhart.

I'm nothing if not eclectic.

Edit: I think it's time to switch back to my Donna avatar.

Updated On: 10/21/06 at 11:32 AM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 2:28pm

That's a beautiful framing job, Patronus.

[Patronus]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 3:12pm

Thanks!

Just to clarify on that one...that frame is actually the standard shadowbox frame from Aaron Brothers for $9.99.

I bought the razor on eBay for under $10 and then secured them both in place with Velcro. No special framing at all there. :)

[Fiction Writer]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 3:29pm

That's awesome, Pat!
I love it.

[timote316]

Posted: 10/21/06 at 3:42pm

I was also going to suggest a shadowbox. My grandmother gave me a complete kit to make one for myself a couple of years ago for Christmas, but I haven't quite found something I want to frame like that just yet.