UNIQUE Original FRANK SINATRA signed autograph 16x20 for William C. Mellor 1956

Description

VINTAGE, UNIQUE
FRANK SINATRA
SIGNED PHOTO (circa 1956)
Unusual candid 16”x 20” black & white matte finish photo of Academy Award-winning Cinematographer, William C. Mellor (d. 1963), eating a sandwich –
signed and inscribed by Frank Sinatra!
Condition of the photo is Fair/Very Good with some wear on the edges and some visible spotting. See scans! The condition does not take away from the great, vintage Sinatra signature from the mid-1950s - inscribed “
Willie – You’re a great man! – Frank Sinatra
” in black ballpoint ink. Not just any old Frank Sinatra autograph, but one given to a man Sinatra worked with and respected. Watermark “ebay” does not appear on the actual item.
Mellor worked as Director of Cinematography on the 1956 film “Johnny Concho” starring Frank Sinatra, so the photo and signature are likely from that time period.  More about Mellor below.
Here is your opportunity to own a vintage Frank Sinatra signature – an authentic autograph of an entertainment legend. Vintage, authentic Sinatra signatures are very rare! This is a must-have piece for the serious Sinatra collector. Would be a great conversation piece and opportunity to own a unique, personalized Sinatra signature. This was not a signature to just any old fan.
A terrific investment - the signature of a legend. REASONABLE OFFERS CONSIDERED.
Sinatra was a willing autograph signer throughout his career (60+ years), however many forgeries and secretarial signatures exist in the market today. It is widely known that Sinatra utilized secretaries to deal with his mail correspondence, including autograph requests, as far back as 1939-1940. Many (some would argue MOST) of the Sinatra signatures you see for sale in the market today are classic examples of secretarial signatures from the 1970's - 1990's or outright forgeries. Do not take on the risk of buying a Sinatra signature that you do not have confidence in. Look for signatures that have credible background and provenance or have been authenticated by legitimate third-party authentication services. Obtaining provenance or third-party authentication will be the only way to protect your investment and will separate you from other sellers in the market.
NJ sales tax applied to purchases by NJ Residents. Sales tax applies to purchase price & shipping/handling.
US shipping via USPS Priority Insured mail. International shipping via eBay Global Shipping Program.
I have been collecting Sinatra signatures for a long time and have some other items like the one for sale here that I am considering selling in the future. So if you have any questions, please let me know!
Thanks for looking!
William C. Mellor, A.S.C. (29 June 1903 – 30 April 1963)
was a cinematographer who worked at Paramount, MGM and 20th Century Fox during a career that spanned three decades. After earning his stripes on a string of B-movies in the 1930s, he first started making serious inroads as a leading cinematographer in 1940 when he worked for Preston Sturges on The Great McGinty. Mellor did his best work with directors George Stevens (winning Oscars for two of his films, A Place in the Sun in 1951 and The Diary of Anne Frank in 1959) and William Wellman (Westward the Woman, 1951). He also contributed to several Anthony Mann westerns, including The Naked Spur in 1953, and a number of MGM musicals. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his work on Mark Robson's Peyton Place in 1957. He died suddenly of a heart attack while filming Stevens' The Greatest Story Ever Told in 1963. Loyal Griggs replaced Mellor. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Mellor received a posthumous Oscar nomination for his work on the film.