Thursday, May 20, 2021

An Edward Lear First Day Cover Signed by Ronald Searle

The autograph market is rife with postal covers bearing patently unrelated signatures. The thinking is that if one takes something collectible such as, say, a first day cover, and has some celebrity sign it, a unique rarity has been created. If the signature bears no relation to the cover, though, there's not much point to it. On the other hand, if an astronaut should perhaps sign a cover with a space stamp, the signature and the stamp might have a perceived synergy that could very well make it a sought-after item.


The same might be said for an item sold yesterday by Chaucer Covers and Auctions, a first day cover with four Edward Lear (1812-1888) stamps issued in the UK on the centenary of his death and signed by Ronald Searle (1920-2011). Lear, of course, is known for his nonsense verse and fanciful illustrations, while Searle, who followed him a century later, was a master of humorous illustration. Clearly the combination works and the selling price, 28 GBP ($39.50 US), while not extravagant, is at least a proof of concept.


Edward Lear/Ronald Searle
Invaluable auction accessed May 2, 2021






03632

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