A remarkable postcard if the autographs are genuine!

[johninhb]

Hi everyone,

A friend sent this image today of an early postcard that he is considering acquiring. I recognize the early card, but not sure about the white border.
Plus, I am not an expert on a single autograph, let alone all these. Any chance that the whole ensemble is genuine, or is it just too good to be true?

I would greatly appreciate the opinions of those who are well informed and familiar with period autographs from these men.

Thanks in advance
John

[Br. James]

This is a common Hoffmann photo card of the Putsch Defendants assembled for their treason trial, and a few of these cards have shown up over the decades at auctions. This one includes the "autographs" of all of the defendants shown, though some other examples do not have all the signatures. The signatures appear to be early and all have a resemblance to originals, but are the signatures on this card hand-written or are they photocopied? What is on the reverse of the card?

The other question which comes to mind is as to the history or provenance provided by the seller. For myself, I would want to know where it comes from -- who owns it now and where did that person obtain it? If the owner bought it via an autograph auction, there should be some paperwork which substantiates that.

Just some thoughts! Cheers,

Br. James