The Autograph Notebook

Download the PDF for our 71st historical autograph catalog, featuring the original Treaty of Paris authorization by George IV, a letter of Thomas Jefferson to Napoleon and document signed by

This is an article by Nathan Raab published on Forbes.com, where he is a contributor. If only a document signed by Abraham Lincoln could tell you where it has been,

Last month when I posted a document from 1170AD and asked readers to attempt to decipher, I got many interested inquiries.  So let’s try another. This one dates from 1677,

It was the year Thomas Becket was murdered and the Spanish monk who would go on to found the Dominicans was born. There was a Crusader king in Jerusalem, and it

Thank you to our customers for making 2011 such a fun and exciting year of historical discovery. We have bought and sold hundreds of documents since last January, but as

Andrew Jackson, Tea Party President? As published at: http://www.forbes.com/sites/booked/2011/09/08/andrew-jackson-tea-party-president/ It turns out that even in 1833, Americans were arguing over the intent of the Founders. This month, we were contacted

As published at: http://blogs.forbes.com/booked/2011/06/24/all-the-presidents-pens/ Last month, for the first time, many Americans met the autopen, the device used by Presidents since Ike to mechanically sign their names.  It entered the

When someone asks us how to begin building a collection, the first thing we say is, “Find a budget that makes you comfortable, and buy the pieces that speak to

We and our clients are on the forefront of finding, researching, and preserving history, and the in process make a valuable contribution to the process of passing history on to

The word rare in the context of historical documents has a specific usage.  It is the relatively uncommon nature of a particular document as assessed by someone in a position

Keep your eye trained on pieces that play an important role in history, relate to a famous person’s legacy, or tell you something interesting or personal about a historical event.

A historical document is not made to order.  Or rather if it is you should re-consider your acquisition. If you excessively organize your collecting, you will yourself passing by other,

The Raab Collection has launched a new site dedicated to the civil war. With the 150th anniversary of the Civil War comes unique focus on the people and events of

History is an inter-active adventure, a quest to discover and be moved by great events, great men and women and great truths. And one of the most fascinating and alluring

Last night, over dinner with the National Security Advisor under President George W. Bush, Stephen Hadley, the topic of secrecy in communication came up.  It reminded me of the many

One issue we deal with quite frequently is people looking to sell or receive appraisals for Presidential Land Grant documents (in later years sometimes known as Homestead Certificates.) Land Grant

This week, a collector approached us with some American historical autographs, among them a pay warrant signed by Benjamin Franklin.  It immediately brought to mind the National Archives’ recent discovery

My wife Susan and I got started in the autograph field over twenty five years ago. We were 36 years old, had two young children, and I was just completing

In 1998, Thomas Lowry was at the top of his game. He had discovered an important historical autograph, a pardon of a deserter in the hand of Abraham Lincoln.   President

In the historical autograph world, we see them all the time, usually accompanied by an autograph of Abraham Lincoln or some other great historical figure.  Engravings are all around us.

Some People Just Lack Tact. Consider the plight of Anton Heitmuller, book, autograph and art dealer around the turn of the century.  His curious strategy: approach famous figures of his

It’s not very often that someone tries to sell me something I already own. But it happens more often than you might think. This week, I received a call from

For lovers of rare books and manuscripts, the Library of Congress is an enchanting place to spend the day. I have just returned from a trip there organized by the Historical

Part of the fun of watching an entire library go up for sale is that it lets us learn about the person who assembled it. One or two pieces is