The Waterbury Democrat., 1934-07-23
In New York
By PAUL HARRISON

New York.-A glimpse of the crowds around any stage door through which a celebrity is like ly to pass gives a fair idea of the extent of the autograph-collecting hobby. But such tactics are the stamp of the novice amateur, and you may be pretty sure that none of these is having much luck with kings and presidents.
 Whats required for bigger game is imagination. I know a young man named Morris Lieber- man who possesses the signature of nearly everybody in the world worth mentioning because he sent the more difficult prospects copy of the New York Tribune of 1850. A great sheaf of the papers came from the cornerstone of demol- ished building, and by reading, them assiduously Lieberman usu- ally was able to discover some ar- ticle which conceivably might in- terest a present-day celebrity.
 'I See by the Papers .,. :"
 Herbert Hoover turned down au- tograph requests until Lieberman mailed him an old Tribune con- taining a piece about the republi- can party. Then he sent back an autographed photo and letter. So did Calvin Coolidge. The Roose- velts think so much of the collector that they have him on their Christmas card list. William H. Taft returned with thanks the newspaper sent to him, describing it as an ancient manuscript" in a signed letter.
 Foreign royalty such as Kings Carol of Rumania, Boris of Bull garia and Fog of Albania proved pretty easy prey. So did the presi- dent of China, and Pu-Yi, the pup pet emperor of Manuchuria. A MT Shen Soen Ling, Chamberlain of the Palace of Manchukuo. wrota' Having just received from his majesty the imperial autograph, as you required. I accordingly en- closed here with for you accept ance." Attached to the paper was little square of cloth of gold, Photos Besides!
 Lieberman goes in extensively for autographed photos, which most amateurs don't get. The last three presidents, the assassinated Paul Doumer of France, General some of his special brides. The whole collection includes several thousand items, and is worth more than $5,000.: Lieberman particu- larly wants a George Bernard Shaw, but hasn't been able to bait the old gentleman into sending one. Hundreds of autograph hunters sit up nights framing provocative letters to him. which partly may account for his testiness of late.
 The catalogues of professional collectors don't list autographs of stage, screen or sports stars; there's no big-league demand for them. Among people who cher ish such things. however, they do have cash value depending on whether they're plain autographs, holographs (handwritten letters) or signed photos, and according to the sentiments expressed. A Mae West Come Up n See Me Sometime" is rather choice item. So is Max Baer ''To My Dear Old Pal, With Love and Kisses"
 A Chaplin or a Maude Adams may be worth $5 or more. Screen fame is so fieeting that you'd have hard time selling a Rudolph Valentino. Signatures of Pick ford, Fairbanks and Barthelmess find some demand, but Carlos are the rarest.
 Izzy and Garbo
 To better understand the mo- tives of the thousands who wait for performers at stage doors, you ought to know about Isadore Free man, a telegraph messengers AL though lazy has the signatures of some 500 of the famous, he is q celebrity chaser rather than a real autograph hound. He and most of his kind seek signatures only that they may bask, however briefly, in the presence of the stars.
 Freeman got his start four years ago with an autograph fE2m Gilda Gray. Now he keeps .scrap- books of everything printed about Tallulah Bankhead, Joan Craw- ford and C1'eta Garbo. Garbo is a great trial to lazy; he has pes tered her so much that she knows him. but she won't give him an autograph. Once he walked sev- eral blocks with her, and she chat ted pleasantly. But she wouldn't sign.
 For three years he has met Joan Crawford at the train when ever she came to town. Once she gave him gardenia and his name got into the papers. That was pretty fine. But the proudest mo- ment of his life was when he dropped into Tallulah Bankheads dressing room more than a year ago and she said, God bless you. lazy" He went out and blew a weeks wages on roses for her.