NAMES OF THE GREAT

Evening Star, Issue 20572, 26 August 1930, Page 1

NAMES OF THE GREAT

One of tho best collections of autographs in tho world is that of Dir Reginald Bray, of Forest Hill, London. It, includes the signature of almost every world-renowned person, and it has taken thirty-one years to collect. The largest signature in the" collection of 10,000 autographs is that of Dliss Lily Bray ton, the actress, who appeared with her husband, Oscar Asclie, in ‘ Chu Chin Chow.’ The smallest is that of Dir Flinders Petrie, the Egyptologist. . , “When I make a request for an autograph,” said Dfr Bray recently, “ I send a postcard for tho signature to he written on, and my hobby has cost mo only £IOO. “ I have had more than 7,000 refusals. Dir George Bernard Shaw sent mo a note which stated that he did not regard unsportsmanlike requests by strangers to forge his own signature for their benefit as legitimate collecting, and that he signed enough genuine documents every day to give collectors ample material for the proper exercise of their peculiar industry.” Kings and queens, premiers and presidents, and Pope Pius X. and Li Hung Chang are in the collection. ■ Lord Roberts' signed one of Dir Bray’s cards in Pretoria, General Baden-Powell in Mafeking, General White in Ladysmith, General French in Kimberley, Admiral Togo at Port Arthur, and Stanley, tho famous explorer, on his death-bed. Dir Bray obtained the autograph of John Lee, tho murderer. “ the man they could not hang.” Lee returned the post card sent to him, saying that ho would call and let Dir Bray have his autograph when ho was released. Ho never called, but ho had signed the card!