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10. 02. 12. - 20:00

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10. 02. 12. - 20:00

Taking the stars home

By Rebecca Musgrave

Stuck like most for an original present this Valentine’s Day? Then look no further. If it is true what they say, then a picture speaks a thousand words and if the picture comes hand in hand with an autograph, then it will certainly speak that little bit louder to your other half.

From surprises for loved ones on anniversaries to teenage birthday presents, StarPhotos have been lovingly hunting high and low for autographs for almost 5 years now. Founders Harold Chipman and Dexter Morse’s absolute passion for all things signed brought them together to create the company out of something, which for both men, started simply as amateur collections. The business now has around 1,000 autographs in their possession.

For Dexter his collection began 20 years ago as he started to build up a gallery of stars in his home in Zürich, Switzerland. For this lawyer, originally from the west of England, it was, as he described it, merely a hobby and something which grew and grew into such a collection that it unintentionally spread across all three floors of his house. "It was the first thing anyone saw when they came to my home and became a real talking point. It was the unfailing interest and curiosity in each autograph that gave me the idea of creating the company."

Some 6,000 miles away in Los Angeles, half Vienniese movie buff, Harold was living and working in the land of dreams, residing with friends who worked in "the business". Not film, just "the business". It was this complete exposure to the silver screen which further spurred on Harold’s fascination with the celebrity and when living in Zürich, after his stint in the USA, he met fellow fan Dexter. With Dexter’s love and knowledge of modern film and Harold’s familiarity with all things 20s, 30s and 40s, the pair made a formidable autograph hunting team and went into business buying and selling signatures.

After their collaboration the pair slowly but surely built up their collection beginning merely with their own private pieces. For both men their individual collections were put together not in the hope of any economic gain but through a love of each and every picture. "I don’t just buy a picture because I like the actor or think of them as being particularly attractive. It has to have meaning or significance to me," explained Dexter.

As StarPhotos is an online company with no exhibition space, Dexter and Harold have found over the years somewhat more creative ways to promote their pieces, focussing on the relatively unexplored central European market. With Harold based in Vienna and Dexter travelling between Austria’s capital and London, they put their collection on show, as and when the opportunity arises. Whether nestled in amongst Dickens and Austen in an English language bookshop in Vienna or placed alongside jewellery on Zürich’s most luxurious shopping street, the pictures have a habit of adding a touch of extravagance wherever they go.

Be it seeing the famous faces in conjunction with such opulent jewellery or in the perhaps incongruous environment of second hand literature, a celebrity face has the potential to consistently turn heads and is capable of winning hearts, according to StarPhotos, even if the viewer knows nothing of the person pictured. One customer was so captivated by actress Scarlett Johansson when walking past the bookshop in Vienna that they bought the signed photograph immediately.

In the case of the jewellery shop on Bahnhofstraße in Zürich, the celebrity prints and autographs were paired with various styles of jewellery in the window display. From a print of Nicole Kidman framed by diamonds and precious stones, to Gong Li surrounded by ornate oriental silver, the coming together of such extravagances was hugely eye-catching, particularly as celebrity and luxury are presumed so often to go hand in hand. "People can really enhance their business by combining two forms of art," Harold firmly believes and continues to exhibit in various venues around Vienna.

In a recent exhibition in Switzerland StarPhotos displayed 14 ladies dressed in red on one wall, with Marilyn and Jane Russell taking centre stage flanked by leather clad Shakira, the classic Sophia Loren and Angelina Jolie. Jolie is in fact Harold’s particular favourite. "She is so dazzling in her own way," he explains. For Dexter however, a certain picture of Greta Garbo in Mata Hari wins out every time. "It is the positioning of the hands. They really knew how to take a photo in the 1920s and 30s."

For StarPhotos it is particularly important that their autographs are made into and viewed as art. Dexter and Harold spend almost as much time choosing photos, prints and frames with which to pair their autographs as they do tracking down the priceless scribble in the first place. Often a signature is found on a small business card or scrap of paper. This then needs to be paired with a picture of the celebrity, of the buyer’s choice, which will truly do it justice. Over the years the collectors have however become pickier about their autographs choosing only photos where they approve of the placing of the signature. "Autographs on faces are an absolute no go for us," they explain to me. I frantically take note on the off chance that I stumble across a Greta or an Audrey on my travels.

For this pair of autograph hunters, it is never quite clear what will be in demand from one day to the next. "You simply never know what collectors will want," they explained. The company has, in the past, pieced together some rather more unusual collections even tailoring pictures to a home’s interior. One collector, moving into a traditional Elizabethan house, requested a selection of six celebrity signed photographs in which each famous face was in an Elizabethan setting.

No challenge is too big for Harold and Dexter however and for Dexter in particular it is searching for these commissions that is the real fun of the business. Not all celebrities are or were as willing to autograph as others and despite stars such as Marlene Dietrich signing for fans well into her nineties, others such as Marlon Brando and Greta Garbo were more reluctant, making them in turn more valuable. Tracking down a Steve McQueen autograph for example was a particular challenge for the pair, as the American actor signed so few in his time. The autograph was intended as an anniversary present from a woman to her husband, an avid Steve McQueen fan. Having contacted their numerous collectors in such countries as the Netherlands and the USA, Dexter discovered the prized signature and at the wife’s request delivered the framed picture directly to the couple as they ate their anniversary dinner.

Despite having been in the business for so many years Dexter and Harold never cease to be amazed by trending celebrities. Johnny Depp for example is consistently popular amongst all ages but the Harry Potter cast have a somewhat indifferent response despite their practically iconic status in the 21st century. One thing they can be sure of however is that such heroes and heroines as Ursula Andress, Romy Schneider, Marilyn Monroe and any James Bond, will always be popular. "A genuine Marilyn is the Rolls Royce of autographs," the pair explain, positively swooning as they talk about such a piece. According to Harold, a signed piece of Marilyn memorabilia can fetch anywhere between 30,000 and 50,000 Euros. Thankfully not all autographs are as expensive on their website with pictures priced from 100 Euros.

Only a few months ago StarPhotos came into possession of their very own Marilyn. Could I see the trophy? Had they brought it with them? Of course not. It is very sensibly locked away in a bank the proud collectors explain, the absolute Holy Grail. It now remains to be seen whether the pair will ever be able to part with their little bit of Norma Jeane. "You do get very attached to some of course," they explain.

In a time when we no longer sign for anything and have put down pens in favour of keypads, the signature is worth more than ever. Each is unique and reflects just a little bit of that individual. Whether you want Nigella and Jamie watching over you as you cook or would like to swoon over George Clooney whilst lying on your sofa, StarPhotos can find what you are looking for. "We are doing what no one else appears to be doing in Austria and we have made autographs into an art form," StarPhotos proudly claim.

For more information visit: http://starphotos.ch/

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