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Author
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Topic: Cosmonaut and Taikonaut Autographs Guide
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Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 53958
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 08-19-2018 03:38 PM
   
Cosmonaut and Taikonaut Autographs: An Identification Guidebook 1961-2018
by John R. Mitchell Identification of Cosmonauts' and Chinese astronauts' autographs is very difficult to those of us who don't read their language. This guidebook is illustrated with examples of autographs to aide the collector in identifying these men and women who have flown in space. - Paperback: 90 pages
- Publisher: John R. Mitchell (August 8, 2018)
- ISBN-10: 0692165711
- ISBN-13: 978-0692165713
Sample pages courtesy the author: 
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Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3473
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 08-20-2018 10:29 AM
Are those covers signed in-person, through the Chinese government or space agency, or through a dealer? If it's the latter, especially a dealer in China, one can't be 100 percent (or close to 100 percent) sure. Enough Yang Liwei in-person exemplars exist, yet they vary widely that unless one really knows the person who got the in-person, most of them would be labeled suspect. |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1320
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
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posted 08-28-2018 08:21 AM
As a collector of cosmonaut autographs, I ordered the book. I will review it when I receive my copy. |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1320
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
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posted 09-05-2018 06:00 AM
I have been contact with John Mitchell, the author. He told me there were a few errors in the book he is going to correct. He is reprinting the book with the errors corrected. As far as my book review, I would highly recommend the book for any collector of cosmonaut autographs. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 2003
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 10-13-2018 09:12 AM
As a long-time collector of cosmonaut autographs I would greatly recommend this very well-done and useful guide book of cosmonaut and taikonaut autographs. This is an update of the long out-of-print and 25+ year old Datz cosmonaut autograph guide that was all our hobby had as a reference until Mr. Mitchell made his available.As far as the authentically of taikonaut autographs in this guide and elsewhere, I'm afraid that us poor collectors will have to be somewhat trusting and accepting of what is available from limited sources. It is believed that no one has received any taikonaut autographs via mail-in requests to the taikonauts. There have been two original sources of taikonaut autographs that I'm aware of and one is from Red China. So their provenance is limited or non-existent but many, including dealers who have distributed many of them, are satisfied that they are authentic but typically lack any solid provenance. Occasionally flown taikonauts will make appearances and in-person autographs are known of some and it would be beneficial and meaningful if those with examples of any in-person taikonaut autographs would compare them to examples found in Mr. Mitchell's guide and give their opinions here. |
Hart Sastrowardoyo
Member Posts: 3473
From: Toms River, NJ
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 10-14-2018 01:03 PM
The XXVI Planetary Congress poster has the signature of Liu Boming of Shenzhou 7, while the XXIII Planetary Congress has that of Fei Junlong of Shenzhou 6 and Yang Liwei of Shenzhou 5.I have not read the book, but I hope that at least these three examples were included as examples of ironclad genuine signatures. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 2003
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 10-15-2018 03:17 PM
I have John Mitchell's cosmonaut/taikonaut autograph guide book and I carefully compared the autograph examples of Boming, Junlong and Liwei in his guide with those in the Planetary Congress' posters and all were very close and very similar, especially Boming's and Junlong's.Mr. Mitchell's guide was not intended as a tool to determine authenticity of cosmonaut and taikonaut autographs, but as he states in his guide, they are presented mainly as examples and not necessarily for authentication purposes. Cosmonaut and taikonaut autographs typically give no or little hint as to who they were signed by and Mr. Mitchell's guide is intended to help identify who the signers of the autographs were. As a contributor to Mr. Mitchell's guide, I know that the autograph examples found in it came from many different sources, such as, thru the mail from Star City, various dealers and auctions and a few in person. So absolute authenticity of these many autographs in the guide can't be assured, but as stated, his guide is intended to show examples and not necessarily intended for authenticity purposes. It should be a very welcome and useful addition to the space collecting hobby. |
Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1320
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
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posted 02-02-2025 07:39 AM
Has an update ever been published? |
Bob M
Member Posts: 2003
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 02-09-2025 01:57 PM
John, have you contacted John Mitchell about an update to his cosmonaut/taikonaut autograph guide? There have been quite a few flown cosmonauts/taikonauts since the booklet's publication, but I wonder if there is still enough interest now in cosmonaut/taikonaut autograph collecting to justify an update?You and I and many others acquired many of our cosmonaut autographs through the mail from Star City, but I do wonder if autograph responses are received from there anymore? |
Robert Pearlman
Editor Posts: 53958
From: Houston, TX
Registered: Nov 1999
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posted 02-09-2025 02:03 PM
The USPS (and other US-based mail carriers, as well as services in Europe and other parts of the world) have not delivered mail to Russia since March 2022 due to Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In response, the Russian Post has blocked mail going to the U.S. and other countries it considers "unfriendly." Roscosmos has also restricted access to cosmonauts outside of the country. In many cases, cosmonauts no longer take part in crew press conferences or public relations appearances in the U.S. and elsewhere, so in-person opportunities are almost non-existent. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 2003
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 02-09-2025 03:03 PM
Thanks, Robert, as I suspected something like that may have happened because of US/Russian relations relating to Ukraine.John and I and so any others primarily built our cosmonaut autograph collections on requests sent directly to the USSR and later to Russia, and certainly many dealers obtained their wares in the same manner. In years past, autographs of most current cosmonauts were generally not too hard to obtain, by personal requests to Star City or from dealers. So, anyone interested in autographs of more recent space travelers may have limited options of buying expensive covers/photos that were flown and autographed in space or from some dealers. And there are some collectors who rely on occasional space travelers' public appearances for autographs that are much rarer now and wouldn't include cosmonauts. |
cosmos-walter
Member Posts: 860
From: Salzburg, Austria
Registered: Jun 2003
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posted 02-10-2025 10:56 AM
My book "Pioneer Rocket Mail & Space Mail," published in 2019, contains signatures of all astronauts who had flown in space up to that point. Sales price: 49 €. Special edition (with three cosmonaut signatures and three ISS on-board stamps): 167 €. Shipping is free on orders of five or more copies. You can order it from me.  
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Apollo-Soyuz
Member Posts: 1320
From: Shady Side, Md
Registered: Sep 2004
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posted 02-11-2025 05:29 AM
When I sent for cosmonaut autographs back in the 1980-1990's I always kept the return envelope which to me shows where and when the request was sent. This should be an additional verification of authenticity. |
Bob M
Member Posts: 2003
From: Atlanta-area, GA USA
Registered: Aug 2000
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posted 02-12-2025 02:50 PM
I have Walter's great book and highly recommend it. The book contains 544 pages of fascinating information and color photographs of hundreds of covers - such as covers flown on various rockets and spacecraft, including many covers flown to the early Soviet Salyut space stations, to Mir and ISS. The book presents clear and authentic autograph examples of the first 570 astronauts, cosmonauts and taikonauts who have flown in space. The autographs are presented alphabetically, from Joe Acaba to V. Zudov and 568 in between, making it a great and useful space voyagers autograph resource. Among so much else, Walter presents an awesome display of crew signed covers - Soviet, Russian and US - with one highlight being a complete set of Mercury, Gemini and Apollo astronaut crew signed covers. The book also includes photographs and information on the covers flown to the moon. For the X-15 cover collectors, are five impressive X-15 flown covers shown, including covers by the pioneer collector, Barbara Baker. |
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