Henrico autograph collector Gary Donis with a photo signed by former first lady Betty Ford
Gary Donis’ memories of political figures and celebrities are captured in the autographs and letters he has stored away in dozens of albums in a large bookcase in his Henrico home. The Philadelphia native has been collecting these precious remembrances for decades.
He seeks out autographs and writes to “whomever he’s interested in,” says Dena Zundel, assistant manager of the Tuckahoe Library, which has displayed mementos from Donis’ “amazing and wonderful” collection. “It’s a very impressive display,” she says. “He has a lot of presidents.” Donis also had a display at Glen Allen’s Twin Hickory library shortly after it opened.
How did this collector manage to accumulate these vast amounts of autographs, letters, envelopes and other ephemera? Back when he was living in Philadelphia, he recalls, he’d often go to the television station in Center City where “The Mike Douglas Show” was shot from 1965 to 1981. Douglas always had a revolving door of guests, from celebrities to political figures.
Donis would wait for the guests to leave the station, and then he would ask for an autograph. “I was interested in getting their story,” he says. “I would always go to where people were playing,” including the Forrest Theatre on Walnut Street in Center City, which hosts many touring Broadway shows.
In addition to getting autographs in person, Donis also writes letters to people of note, often congratulating them on a major event such as a birthday or anniversary, and has received many replies in return.
A letter to Donis from former President Lyndon B. Johnson
His collection of hundreds of autographs and letters includes names including those of actress and singer Pearl Bailey; TV journalist Barbara Walters; and former Presidents George H.W. Bush, Jimmy Carter, John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson. One of his favorite autographs is from former first lady Barbara Bush, and other coveted mementos include letters from former Vice President Hubert Humphrey and from the Israeli government after the death of former Prime Minister Golda Meir in 1978.
“She was quite a lady,” Donis says.
The albums that hold these mementos represent more than just possessions to Donis, who has also displayed his collection at the Philadelphia Regional Library.
Collecting is a way to develop some expertise and “essentially be unique,” says Jeffrey Green, a professor at Virginia Commonwealth University who specializes in social psychology. “It’s a great way of feeling accomplished in a way that doesn’t require physical gifts. … With any good hobby, you get a level of expertise.”
At the same time, collecting can serve a social function as collectors often “get together and trade things back and forth,” Green says.
While some people collect items that are trendy and may lose their appeal, Donis has chosen items that “will go on forever,” Green says, noting that when collectors zero in on what they like, the hunt becomes part of the enjoyment. “It can be a fun pursuit. When you get one [item], you can turn your attention to the next challenge.”
Collections have a tangible quality, he adds. “It can be very fulfilling.”
Photos and an autograph from entertainer Lawrence Welk from Donis’ collection
Paige Newman, curator at the Virginia Museum of History & Culture, spends many hours looking over the museum’s collection of manuscripts, letters, diaries, autograph albums, envelopes and more.
“That represents the bulk of our collection,” she says. “That is why we were established — to collect the history of Virginia through objects, papers, books and museum objects.”
These items are tied to individuals ranging from famous historical figures to regular citizens from the late 1500s through today. “We try to have a vast collection, because we have researchers that use our collections, and we try to anticipate what they want and will want in the future,” she says.
Collecting can be an important endeavor. “I think sometimes there is a misconception of what is important. We only think that older materials from, say, the 1700s or 1800s are important, but we try to collect for the future, too,” Newman says.
Collections can offer a snapshot of the world in another time and place, providing a “better understanding than what we find on Google or in an encyclopedia,” she says.
Donis, who also collects stamps, just knows that his collection of signatures “makes me feel really happy. I want other people to think about collecting autographs because it’s interesting.”
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