For those of you curious:
At the temporary link below are images of two letters I own signed by Audrey Hepburn. The first letter was dictated and signed by Audrey in 1965, the second letter was written entirely in long-hand to autograph collector Richard Verost in 1988, a few years before her death in January 1993.
Note the differences in her signature, 1965 (when she was 36), vs. 1988 (when she was 58). Both are bullet-proof authentic and were written at her private estate (rather from a studio) -- in Tolenchanz, Switzerland, where she is buried today. We visited her grave and museum in 1999 before her family, a few years later, barred visitors permanently. Many Audrey letters, annotated scripts in her own hand as well as movie posters used to be on display at that now closed museum, as well as her two Oscars for Best Actress in "Roman Holiday" in 1953 and a lifetime achievement Oscar bestowed after her death in 1993.
The first letter is dated July 20, 1965, and is addressed to R. de Borger of Het Laatste Nieuws, a top newspaper in Brussels. Three elements make this letter unique.
1) Audrey Hepburn graciously acknowledges the newspaper's decision to bestow its prize to her for best actress on August 16, 1965. This prize is an obvious reference to her performance in "My Fair Lady," the 1964 film which won eight (8) Academy Awards including Best Picture in early 1965.
2) In the letter, Hepburn expresses regrets for being unable to accept the honor in person because of a conflict with a new motion picture that begins shooting in Paris. That picture we know is "How To Steal a Million," starring Hepburn and Peter O'Toole, shot entirely in Paris and released in 1966.
3) The return address is her long-time home in Tolochenaz.
The second letter is less historic but I love it more because it is written entirely in her own hand and is also postmarked from Tolenchanz. It's self explanatory. You can see the results before and after I had both letters matted and framed with re-strike photos.
Because her signatures are easy to copy, with Audrey Hepburn, I only buy her documents and letters, not signed movie paper.
-koose.
