In some cases, a genealogical case may partially hinge on using a signature to document that two people with the same name are in fact the same person. This can substantially impact the value of the Bible's information. If the entry was made by someone who was most likely present at the event, the information is more likely to be accurate than if it was made a generation or two later. I like to collect signatures of ancestors. I don't have all that many pictures, and only one couple had their portrait painted.
Signatures are a little bit easier to collect and sometimes lead to new and unexpected information.
Copyright 2000, Michael John Neill. He conducts seminars and lectures on a wide variety of genealogical and computer topics and contributes to several genealogical publications, including Ancestry Magazine and Genealogical Computing .