Reading faded signature using enhanced light?

[kt4hx]

I saw this baseball listed for the upcoming Huggins & Scott auction. Says that the signatures have faded and are unreadable. However, JSA found 22 signatures "through specialized light modification". Exactly what are they referring to? Is black light helpful with reading faded signatures? Just curious.

http://hugginsandscott.com/cgi-bin/s...=273&lotno=601

[thecatspajamas]

Originally Posted by kt4hx

Is black light helpful with reading faded signatures? Just curious.[/URL]

In some cases, yes, because the ink will fluoresce differently than the leather of the ball. I have seen at least one auction listing (for a Gehrig signed ball, if I remember correctly) where they somehow photographed the ball under black light in order to show the signature which was otherwise obliterated. It would have been a good idea to do something similar in this case because you clearly cannot read any of the signatures listed. It seems to me that they must show up pretty well under the black light (or are there other similar lighting types besides the typical black light that could be used?) for the authenticator to be hanging themselves out there like that. Not only would they have to be able to make out the signature, but also tell if it's real or not. Although, admittedly, the likelihood of someone faking signatures and then obliterating them to that degree would be very slim...

[drc]

At a crime scene, CSI forensic experts have special lights that give a broad range of life-- infrared to all the colors of the visual spectrum to ultraviolet to colored lenses. They use this to pick up hidden details. They will then photograph it for documentation. Used to identify blood drops on a dark surface, eyelashes on a rug, etc. Under certain lighting, an item will stand out.

So it could be UV that made the signatures stand out, could be infrared, could be an visible color that picks them up. With the CSI light machine, they will go through the whole range of light until something is picked up. I've used infrared light to pick out old writing on baseball bats. It often works well.

[collectbaseball]

Illuminating a surface with raking light (from the side) can also reveal subtleties not easily visible... that's how they found out that some ancient marble statues were actually painted, not pure white!

[steve B]

Originally Posted by drc

At a crime scene, CSI forensic experts have special lights that give a broad range of life-- infrared to all the colors of the visual spectrum to ultraviolet to colored lenses. They use this to pick up hidden details. They will then photograph it for documentation. Used to identify blood drops on a dark surface, eyelashes on a rug, etc. Under certain lighting, an item will stand out.

So it could be UV that made the signatures stand out, could be infrared, could be an visible color that picks them up. With the CSI light machine, they will go through the whole range of light until something is picked up. I've used infrared light to pick out old writing on baseball bats. It often works well.

Yes, it's amazing what's possible with differing light. Even having access to long and short wave UV opens up a whole world of "invisible" stuff.

I didn't know they used a device with a wide spectrum. Being into gadgets I'll have to look into picking up one of those devices. Maybe IR camera first....

For flats it's amazing what a good scanner and even basic photo software can do. Changing the color levels and contrast/brightness can pull up details that are tough to see otherwise.

Steve B

[drc]

Strictly as a collector, I prefer those autographs I can see with naked eyes under normal light.

[doug.goodman]

Does anybody have an Invisible Man autograph available for my Super Heros collection?

Doug

[scmavl]

Originally Posted by drc

Strictly as a collector, I prefer those autographs I can see with naked eyes under normal light.

Agreed.