Featured JOHNNY CASH, LASH LaRUE & WAYLON JENNINGS SIGNED PHOTO STUCK TO FRAME'S GLASS - HELP!

I found this in a box of Lash LaRue things that were left to me after my mom passed away (Lash LaRue was a western cowboy movie star (the King of the Bullwhip!) - and was my mom's boyfriend for many years before he passed away! (The box is has old movie posters, lobby cards, envelopes with phots & handkerchiefs & letters asking for autographs + contracts and other stuff - including letters he wrote to my mom while on the road doing western convention shows & personal appearances that he addressed to my mom Joy as Joy LaRue; even though they never got married!)
The photo is addressed to Dick - he was a friend of my mom and a country music fan (I remember trying to get him to switch to rock & roll whenever I rode in his car as a teenager but he wasn't having it!) & I'm guessing my mom asked Lash to have it signed to him when he heard that Lash was working with Cash & Waylon on a album - not sure why it was never given to Dick (who has also passed away).
The problem is the box & the photo has been sitting in a storage shed for years & because of the humidity and temperature changes when I tried to remove the photo from the frame the center of the photo is stuck to the glass! I think this is actually original photo from when they did the photo shoot for the album & probably pretty rare so I don't want to hurt it - what's the safest way to remove it from the glass - or should I just leave it as is?
Thanks in advance for any help!

 

I had cause to look this problem up a a couple of years ago and did not find a solution. The emulsion sticks like glue and if you soak the photos it's just as likely (maybe more so) that the emulsion will pull free of the paper as it is that it will pull free of the glass.

The only suggestion I saw was to try to scrape the photos free using something like a razor blade, and then to use the same technique to remove whatever emulsion stayed behind and glue it back onto the photo. That didn't seem like any solution at all to me.

 

I use BESTINE to unstick things but have never used it with an autographed photograph.

Deobra

 

@moreotherstuff
What do you think a hair dryer, set on low, applied to the glass side would do?

My first thought since photos go through a water bath was to soak it. I have washed old photos so that I can get them to lay flat, or wash grime off.
However, since this is autographed that might harm the ink.

I would NOT use a razor blade.

 

eek!

 

A hair dryer may be an alternate to soaking, but you still won't know whether the emulsion will let go of the glass or the paper.

 

i would just leave it alone , the value is in the signatures , but to authenticate them they would have to be removed from the glass,
seems you have enough provenance to prove they are real already .

 

I have seen this problem before and have read about some solutions to the problem, the hairdryer on low heat may work, but heat may most certainly harm the photo. Also freezing the photo in the freezer, because the compounds of the photo adhering it to the glass. “I PERSONALLY WOULDN’T TRY EITHER” and I can’t authenticate or recommend either method. I suggest if you have a photo restoration service through local professional photo processors/camera shops the best idea, they may have the expertise, and right chemicals etc to remove it safely, if you want it removed from that particular glass. But, you still have integrity of the signatures to contend with, too risky. Otherwise, the best scenario, keep it on that glass, and buy a new custom over-frame for it, if you are concerned with aesthetics. ❤️Maven

 

(The box is has old movie posters, lobby cards, envelopes with photos & handkerchiefs )
how come no one asked to see what else is in the box hehehe,
so i will

 

(I will too.)

Hey! What else is in the box?

Debora

 

following..

 

I agree that the value is in the signatures. However, I have used primary authenticators PSA/DNA, Becketts and REAL and they can definitely authenticate the signatures in this condition. I have had Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson and Vince Lombardi authenticated behind glass.

I would also suggest posting this at https://live.autographmagazine.com/
These folks are industry experts and work hard to expose fraud. Personally, I love the piece! Good luck.

 

I was thinking of steaming it?

 

I'm sorry , I don't understand why or what you are doing that it has to be taken apart in the first place ?
I stand by my opinion leave it alone , place it with the rest in a display .

 

do not......please.......that's such a rockin cool photo to have ....
I'd leave it right where it is .....a keep it out of the sunlight..!!

 

in this world now , everything is graded on a scale from 0 to 10 unless it is very rare , one of a kind or priceless (condition can/does still matter ) it was a ten until you opened it and started playing with it (even a fingerprint can bring it down a whole grade ) if you continue to destroy it, it will only have sentimental value .

 

i want to say that you may have a box of country music/movie paraphernalia gold for all we know , what else do you have ? i suspect you sparked a lot of interest with the members with what you said was in the box hehelol

 

with pics if you can , I would start by archiving/conserving and protecting stuff first, like when i buy a comic/s ( 300 in the last month or 2 ) i put them in a plastic sleeve with a cardboard backing ... then i look it up on ebay lol

 

When you mentioned that the fingerprint made a difference, my first thought was perhaps in the eyes of CGC when determining if comic is a 9.8 and definitely with sports cards. With autographs, not so much. It is really only the signature that is graded. That being said, condition of the photo will impact demand and consequently, market price.

Clearly, you want to takes the steps necessary to preserve both the photo and the signatures. I agree with komokwa. Signatures will definitely fade in light.

Like others, I am intrigued by this treasure chest of yours!