“How Do You Know It’s Real?” Authenticating and Caring for Historic Documents
Schedule
Sun Oct 12 2025 at 01:00 pm to 04:00 pm
UTC-04:00Location
523 Ridgewood Rd, Maplewood, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07040 | Maplewood, NJ
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Join Durand-Hedden as historic document expert Stuart Lutz leads an illustrated talk on antique manuscripts on Sunday, October 12, from 1 pm to 4 pm, at Durand-Hedden House in Maplewood. He will discuss what is available, pricing, and the question he gets most of all: “How do you know it is real?” Lutz has been in the business, operating from South Orange, for 35 years and makes frequent appearances on the History Channel’s hit show Pawn Stars. He is one of the few experts in the US who can authenticate documents and autographs. Lutz will demystify the work of a professional document and manuscript collector and seller, and display documents related to the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, and the Vietnam War, as well as those associated with famous figures. Lutz’s Vietnam collection is the largest in private hands.
Lutz’s oral history book, The Last Leaf: Voices of History’s Last-Known Survivors, will be available for sale and autographing at the conclusion.
After Lutz’s talk, audience members can learn how to care for and store their own historical memorabilia, including photographs, with local collection registrar Batja Bell. She will also explore some documents from Durand-Hedden’s collection and talk about their preservation.
While this event is free, we ask visitors to consider making a donation when signing up by purchasing a donation ticket. All donations are welcome, appreciated, and support Durand-Hedden's mission, upkeep, and community events. Both complimentary and donation tickets are available at DurandHedden.org. Parking for Durand-Hedden House is available on nearby streets.
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Where is it happening?
523 Ridgewood Rd, Maplewood, NJ, United States, New Jersey 07040Event Location & Nearby Stays:
