Wentworth Institute of Technology - Tekton Yearbook (Boston, MA)

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6'fQB ,,,,,.T . Yn,, T. nx?, 3:3pn 0925 THE TEKTON AUTGGRAPH CQLLECTING By sTANToN H. BECKER Collecting autographs is a fascinating hobby, if only for the reason that it gives us anew standard for judging our fellow men. Without doubt, an autograph does carry with it something of the personality . BETTY BRONSON of its author, and in collecting them we gather around us an interesting group of men and women. There is a popular misconception about autograph collecting which considers it to be the infantile practice of taking a blank book marked L'Autographs and asking people to write their names in it. Such is the way of the high school girl, but not of the collector of autographs. Nor is it autograph collecting to take a letter and clip the signature. This is destroying rather than collecting. It is the aim of the collector if possible to secure an entire letter, note, or piece of writing, in the handwriting of the author, signed with his or her name. This is then known as an A. S. L. fautograph signed letterl or an A. S, N. Qautograph signed notej. Usually typewritten letters are of little value, as they may be only the thoughts of the secretary put on paper and then handed to the signer fora signature. Une very important thing in autograph collecting, and there are many, is to make your letter of request carry a distinct appealg make it a personal letter, to that person you are writing to. Never use a form letter, for it is soon recognized as such by the persons addressed, with the result that they feel their letters and signatures are being commercialized rather than being MAE MURRAY placed in some collectiong and as a consef quence, such requests are either ignored or refused. There are many ways of making a letter personal and appealing. It all . .M 20 yt.

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nm: uciiwlffan acura THE TEKTON 1925 BASEBALL SQUAD BACK Row: M. Cashman, Asst. Mgr.: W. Watson, Mgl'., W. Karlson, Coach. THIRD Row: P. Legate, R. Clough, Graham, L. Perkins, W. Paekard, H. Waldron, L. Dodge, Asst. Mgr. SECOND ROW! W. Reilly, W. Drummond, E. Pierce, D. MacLean. Banagan, L. Beach. FRONT ROW: H. Skinner, W. Fay, sl. Barry, Odlum, Capt. E. Lord, C. Salstrom. THE SCORES CLASS NGTES B. U. '28 ............ 15 W. I. 15 It was a sight for sore eyes. Mi1tOn Academy . . i - 8 W. 1. 7 Ed. Hallenan being chased up the Main Brown, .28 . . . l . . . I v 19 W. I. 12 Street of Brockton at one o'clock in the 1 11 W I 24 mornmg by a flapper. B' U 28 ' ' Helfnan-The greatest one arm driver Andover Academy .... 6 W. I. 5 ever known. Dean Academy . . . . . . 23 V W. I. 3 QAfter a dancej Harvard 2d .......... 20 W. I. 6 The Plumbing Class of 1925 has been Noble Greenough 4 W. I. 5 Well represented in sports. The interfclass baseball games held dur' ing the noon hour furnish plenty of sport for the students. Rohan-Basketball. Skinner-Baseball. Lawrence-Baseball and Basketball. Lord-Baseball and Basketball. +1419 Ne

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frm: insrrfqossrgvi new THE TEKTON depends on the person that is being ad' dressed. Perhaps the most difficult people to address personally are the motion pic' ture stars, for the eyes of the nation are upon them and they receive countless ufanl' letters. Fan letters mean an increased mail, and this necessitates secretaries to handle it, and where there are secretaries present, it is still more difficult for the poor autograph collector to get his letter by. But it can be done, for here is only one of many letters to show this. I addressed a letter to one of the best known and most popular stars of the screen, Anna Nilsson, and this is the reply which I received. My dear Mr. Becker, Thanksfor your letter, also for your suggestion as to fan mail. Don't think it would work out for this reason, that fans ANNA Q, NILSSON send their letters to the different studios whose pictures they saw you last in, which in my case means I get letters through every studio out here, as I do practically all my work here in Hollywood. Personally, even tho I have a secretary to send out fan pictures, I do take a keen interest in my mail and answer quite a few of the more interesting ones myself. It is really a picture actor's or actress's only way of knowing and keeping in touch with the public and its interests. What a lot I would miss if I had the mail done by some' one I could not be in contact with. No, the photograph I sent you was not the usual fan photo. Your letter was one of the ones attended to by me personally. Thanks for liking it. Speaking of letters, I wish that you could read some of the ones I get. Those from young girls, asking my advice about one thing or another, confidf ing their joys and sorrows to me. I some' times feel a hundred years old when I sit down and answer their letters. I really feel a great responsibility, as I know they are reading my letters and perhaps following my advice. Don't just know why I am writing all this to you, especially as I am tired out tonight and should be in bed, except perhaps to impress you with the fact that fan mail, if you answer it at all and are not thoughtless about it, is not so easily disposed of. No more. Thanks again for your interest, and do excuse errors and carelessness in this hastily written letter, but as I said before, I am dead tired. Sincerely yours, fSignedj Anna Nilsson. This shows what I mean when I say a letter must have an appeal. Very often some other means may be used to accom' plish results. I addressed a letter to Colleen Moore and because of the newly inaug' urated air mail service, used it to dispatch that letter to her.The newspapers carried items to the effect that I had done so and was the first one to have done it. -+14I2114 -