PROFOUNDLY rare-- just the third example we have encountered in almost 40 years!-- vintage black fountain pen signature on an unevenly trimmed portion of a 4x5-inch light green album page, acquired in-person in 1938. In fine condition for its age, with some folds made by the original collector. Note that the image of the star shown here alongside the scan of the autograph is not included. Artist's model, chorine and actress Evelyn Nesbit was one of the entertainment industry's all-time greatest beauties, considered the original "It" girl. She is best remembered, however, for having been at the heart of one of one of the greatest scandals of the last century: Her abusive husband, Pittsburgh millionaire Harry Thaw, murdered 52-year old architect and socialite Stanford White, who had taken advantage of 16-year old performer and subsequently become her lover some years before she married Thaw. The latter's mother launched a propaganda campaign, including a film, to portray her son as a protector of women's virtue; in tandem, the media reported White's many other transgressions involving young women. After his first trial ended in a hung jury, Thaw was retried in 1908 and found insane. He was confined to an institution for the criminally insane in upstate New York, from which he which he escaped once. In 1915, he was released with his reputation totally untarnished.

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