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[–]othersomethings 23 points24 points ago

I'm not sure about autographs of celebrities, but it used to be very popular to carry around "autograph books" that friends and acquaintances would sign with little greetings etc. much in the same way celebrities sign things now, or the way kids sign yearbooks.

I would have to look for it's origin but I know it was wildly popular in the 1880's.

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[–]brauchen 4 points5 points ago

This is still wildly popular in the Netherlands. Young girls carry around specialized dummy books and glitter stickers, and their friends write (standard, well-known) poems for them into those little books with lots of happy wishes and fancy signatures.

[–]othersomethings 4 points5 points ago

That's interesting. I never would have guessed that it had been revived!

[–]Afterburned 1 point2 points ago

I'm guessing it is an extension of signing documents or pieces of art to authenticate them. You get someone to sign a picture or something like that to "authenticate" the experience.

[–]geareddev 0 points1 point ago

It's an extension of the treasuring of letters written by kings to those in the upper class. Invitations, gifts, etc. People cherished letters which were sent to them (and signed) by someone in a higher class than they. I imagine it trickled down from there.