American forger (1887-1950?) who forged letters from American luminaries. Joseph Cosey forgery of a partial Edgar Allan Poe handwritten and signed letter, one page both sides, 7.75 x 5, August 7, 1847. Forged conclusion of a letter supposedly written to his contemporary Nathaniel Parker Willis. In part: “In Godey's (last month) there is a paragraph on the propriety of running a series of ‘criticisms’ on current literary compositions. It is not very difficult to discern to whom the item is pointed. A certain ‘Marginalia’ has displeased someone.” Intersecting folds, light toning and soiling, trimmed edges, and an intentional large ink blot over the forged signature, otherwise fine condition. This is the first Cosey-Poe we have offered, although the macabre writer was one of his favorite literary targets; he had such a predilection for creating letters from Poe to Willis that Charles Hamilton suggests that any correspondence between them is suspect. An interesting piece of autographic history. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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