Rare Ian Hendry Autograph From The John Verzi Collection
Above: Ian Hendry signed 4″ x 6″ index card from the John Verzi collection. Date of in-person acquisition noted in pencil on the back of May 25, 1976.
This autograph is up for auction on eBay, with the lot ending on 14th June 2019. Details can be found here.
The Magic Of An Autograph
There is a certain fascination with collecting autographs. As a child, I had several autograph books which were filled with famous footballers and celebrities. As a keen Ipswich Town supporter, I used to go to watch the first team train at Portman Road, where I met [Sir] Bobby Robson, Kevin Beattie, Allan Hunter, Paul Mariner, John Wark and many more of the greats who signed my book. Those were the golden years at the club before the decline set in. Still, I was blessed to have witnessed it all.
During the day we spent preparing for the filming of Ian’s This Is Your Life in 1978, I went around with my miniature ‘Red Book’ collecting the autographs of all the guests.
Picture: My This Is Your Life autograph book from March 1978.
My sister collected autographs too, writing to the TV stars of the 70s and receiving wonderful signed and dedicated photographs in the post from household names such as Bruce Forsyth, Dick Emery and The Two Ronnies – Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett.
There is no doubt something very magical about an autograph. A piece of memorabilia that captures a moment in time, something very personal and, perhaps, just a little bit of the aura, talent and ‘magic’ that made the person a public figure.
The John Verzi Autograph Collection
This Ian Hendry autograph is part of one of the largest in-person autograph collections to surface in the last 25 years.
Picture: John Verzi, pictured here with Glenda Jackson, was a long-time in-person collector who resided in Los Angeles.
John Verzi was clearly an interesting character. Beginning in the 1950s and continuing for more than four decades, he tracked down thousands of notables in all fields of achievement, occasionally accompanied by friends, and requested their autographs.
Some of these autographs were on photographs, some on pages of old “Stars of the Photoplay” books, but primarily on approximately 24,000 index cards and album pages. He frequently noted the date the autograph was obtained on the back of the photo or index card. He was able to obtain signatures of numerous stars of the 1980s and 1990s at the outset of their careers when they were flattered to be asked for their autograph and responded with legible signatures.
Here are just a few samples from his enormous collection:
Picture: Bruce Lee autograph from the John Verzi collection
Picture: Ian Flemming autograph from the John Verzi collection
Ian Hendry Autograph Gallery
The gallery below showcases a number of good examples of Ian Hendry’s autographs – including a few on promotional stills from films such as Repulsion [1965] and Live Now Pay Later [1962] – both of which are now in my personal collection.
In one early autograph – dedicated to ‘Fay’ from the late 1950s – you will notice that Ian’s signature includes his middle initial ‘M’ – for Mackendrick. Mackendrick was a family surname, clearly from the Scottish side of the family! I think it may have been his grandmother’s maiden surname on his father’s side of the family.
He clearly dropped the use of the initial a short-time later and by the early 1960s, he had settled for the signature which he would use throughout the rest of his life.
Ian’s signature is distinctive and spontaneous with the bold, almost chiselled ‘I’ in Ian and the swirls around the ‘H’ in Hendry. If the autograph was dedicated to someone, in particular, it was invariably signed with ‘very best wishes’ or ‘best wishes’.
They are beginning to become quite collectable, due in part to the rediscovery of The Avengers ‘Tunnel of Fear’ episode in 2016, which raised awareness of his key role amongst the very passionate fan-base of the cult series.
Click on the thumbnails/ images to see the autographs in a larger lightbox.
The autographs above also include one other rarity, a signature by Ian Hendry dedicated to another Ian Hendry.
Picture: Ian Hendry meets Ian Hendry at the premiere of Live Now, Pay Later [1962]
You can read more about that other Ian Hendry’s meeting with our Ian Hendry which occurred during his visit to his hometown of Ipswich in 1962, for the premiere of his film Live Now, Pay Later.
Until next time,
Neil Hendry
Editor, Official Tribute To Ian Hendry
Further Reading
A detailed account of the life and work of Ian Hendry in the new biography:
Read: ‘Send in the Clowns – The Yo Yo Life Of Ian Hendry’ by Gabriel Hershman
More From Ian Hendry
- Ian Hendry + Janet Munro – Rowing On The Thames Near Their Home Called, ‘Sphinx’, Located On Pharaohs Island, London [c.1963-1965]
- Police Surgeon – ‘Dr. Brent’s Casebook’ – New Book Reveals The Compelling Story Behind The Almost Forgotten Series That Led To The Creation Of A Television Legend – The Avengers
- Get Carter (1971) – MGM Promotional Still – Ian Hendry As Eric Paice
- Ian Hendry in Bobbikins [1959] – Previously Unknown Film Role As A BBC Radio Announcer Discovered By Film Enthusiast
- Get Carter [1971] ‘Eyes Look Like…Piss-Holes In The Snow’ – Tony Klinger Reveals The Story Behind THAT Famous Line
- Theatre of Blood [1973] – Autographed By Milo O’Shea, Harry Andrews, Ian Hendry, Arthur Lowe, Robert Coote and Jack Hawkins
- ABC’s Television Line-up Autumn 1965: Dickie Davies + Philip Harben + Dusty Springfield + Patrick Macnee + Diana Rigg + Bruce Forsyth + Britt Eckland + Ian Hendry + David Buck
- The Avengers TV Series 1 (1961) – With Umbrella, Scotch And Cigarettes
- Professional Debut – ‘Reluctant Heroes’ At Queen’s Theatre, Hornchurch (August 1955) – With Bernard Cribbins + Ronnie Fraser
- Ian Hendry – Rare Early Promotional Photograph c.1958
- J.P. Donleavy – Acclaimed Auther Dies At 91 – Ian Hendry Starred As Dangerfield In The BBC TV Film Version Of ‘The Ginger Man’ In 1962
- The Hill (1965) – Harry Andrews (as Sergeant Major Wilson) + Ian Hendry (as Staff Sergeant Williams) + Sean Connery (as Joe Roberts)
- Get Carter (1971) – Original Screenplay [PDF Download]
- George Segal – On Working With Ian Hendry On The Film – The Southern Star [1969]
- Children Of The Damned [1963] – Original MGM Promotional Still Of Ian Hendry + Alan Badel + Alfred Burke
- No.1: The Ian Hendry Files. Rare Scrapbook Extracts From The 1950s – 1980s
- Live Now Pay Later (1962) Rare Still – Ian Hendry + Nyree Dawn Porter
- Repulsion (1965) 50th Anniversary Tribute Part #1 – Catherine Deneuve + Ian Hendry + John Fraser + Yvonne Furneaux (dir. Roman Polanski)
- Comic Strip Presents! The Avengers ‘The Drug Pedlar’ TV CRIMEBUSTERS Annual (1962) – Ian Hendry (As Dr. David Keel) + Patrick Macnee (As John Steed)
- When Ian Hendry Met Ian Hendry! At The Premiere Of Live Now, Pay Later – ABC Cinema In Ipswich (1963)
- Ian Hendry Portrait ‘Clown Of Quality’ – TV Times 18th March 1972
- Happy 5th Birthday! The Official Tribute To Ian Hendry – Website Celebrates It’s 5th Year Online
- Ian Hendry – Magazine Portraits From The 1960s
- Get Carter (1971) – Roy Budd Theme Tune + Opening Revisited! [Video]
- No.2: The Ian Hendry Files. Rare Scrapbook Extracts From The 1950s – 1980s
- Ian Hendry + Jane Asher + Zena Walker – Lobby Card From Girl In The Headlines [1963]
- ‘This Is My Street’ (1964) Rare Original Quad Poster Prototype Artwork By Tom Chantrell – Shared With Us By Owner
- Ian Hendry + Dick Emery Sketch – The Dick Emery Show [1976]. A Military Attache From The Russian Embassy Meets ‘Jack’ In A London Pub. Jack’s A British Naval Officer In Search Of A Spy And A Drink!
- Ian Hendry + Liz Fraser – Live Now, Pay Later [1962] – Original Film + Promotional Still
- Early Promotional Photograph (1963) – Ian Hendry With Gauloises Cigarette