autographist

English

Noun

autographist (plural autographists)

1. One who collects or authenticates autographs.
   • 1893 November 1, The Bowdoin Orient, volume XXIII, number 8, Brunswick, M.E.: Bowdoin College, →OCLC, page 147:

     He was particularly famous as an autographist, however, and his judgment in all matters concerning the genuineness and value of autographs was unerring.

   • 1904, Harry Furniss, Harry Furniss at Home, London: George Bell and Sons, page 267:

     Above all things, my dear autographist, get your victim's name correct, do not add insult to injury.

   • 1994, Paul Hofmann, The Spell of the Vienna Woods: Inspiration and Influence From Beethoven to Kafka, New York, N.Y.: Henry Holt and Company, →ISBN, page 193:

     [Joseph] Kyselak, who described himself as an "autographist," was no innovator either.

2. One who signs an autograph.
   • 1871 April 1, “My New Idea”, in Charles Dickens Jr., editor, All the Year Round, volume V, number 122, London: Chapman & Hall, page 428:

     It was quite a troublesome task to keep the autographists within their proper limits, but I was very peremptory—though jocosely so, of course—upon the subject.

   • 1889 December 14, Punch, volume XCVII, London: Punch Publications Ltd., page 280:

     The autographists have not been very happy in their quotations.

3. One who copies a historic document.
   • 1957 April, Laurence Taylor, “Flute Facts: Editing "Old Music"”, in The Instrumentalist, volume XI, number 8, Northbrook, I.L.: The Instrumentalist Publishing Co., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 68:

     Where no modern editing has been done on a number. with an 18th century edition merely being handed over to an autographist or engraver for re-copying, it is all too easy for careless, incorrect 20th century reprints to result.

Further reading

• “autographist, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.