My Forgery Bibliography

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This is not a "forgery" forum, nor even a "Voynich Forgery" forum. But in my opinion, to not have a full understanding of the long history of forgery, and motivations behind, and methods used to forge, is to not fully understand why and when we know any one thing is actually genuine in the first place. Without this knowledge, we must take an assessment of genuine on "blind faith" only, and are then at the mercy of both the forgers, and the people who support forgery as genuine, on false and unfounded grounds. Rich SantaColoma

Forgery Bibliography:

Fakes, Otto Kurz, Faber & Faber, 1948, Dover Publications, 1967, ISBN: 0-486-21871-6
If no other book on forgery is on your shelf, this classic is the one you should have.

False Impressions, Thomas Hoving, 1996 (Simon & Schuster), ISBN: 0-684-81134-0
Hoving wrote in a more popular, personal style. He repeats many of the findings of Kurz, with updates, along with many of his own finds and the anecdotes about them.

Faking Ancient Mesoamerica, Kelker & Bruhns, Routledge 2009, ISBN-10: 1598741497
Read this book, and you will never look at a (supposedly) genuine work in the same way, again. My favorite quote from the book,

"Unfortunately, it is not uncommon to find professionals--- art historians, museum curators, and even well-known archaeologists--- championing these fake works. Some of these erstwhile defenders suffer from the "missing link of history" syndrome, in which the most glaring errors of a forgery are dimsissed in the desire to see a fraudulent work as a legitimate copy of some now-lost, previously unknown, ancient manuscript. The discovery of said manuscript--- or at least its ever so faithful copy--- is guaranteed to plug major holes in scholarship as well as rocket its discoverer to fame, fortune, and guest appearances on the Today Show--- or even better, invitations to weekends at well-heeled collectors' country estates. Those suffering from the "missing link" syndrome are perhaps the most dangerous because their misplaced enthusiasm, coupled with their professional reputations, presents the greatest opportunities for the pollution of science to arise."- Nancy L. Kelker & Karen O. Bruhns, "Faking Mesoamerica"

The Judgment of Experts: Essays and Documents about the Investigation of the Forging of the Oath of a Freeman, 1991, edited by James Gilreath, American Antiquarian Society, Worchester, Mass.
This book is unique on the subject of the forged Oath of a Freeman, as it contains the interviews of the forger and murderer Hofmann, along with essays by various experts and law enforcement people. This gives a view from the mind of the forger, the methods he used and why, and how that forgery both fooled some experts, and was discovered by others. Spoiler alert: Walter McCrone was fooled, he stated definitively it was genuine.

I also find this one of the better insights into the "process of apology" that often permeates expert opinion: On the one hand, their experience notices problems; on the other, they dismiss those problems, with prejudice. Experts often do the forger's work for them, without even realizing it.

The Gospel Hoax: Morton Smith’s Invention of Secret Mark, Stephen C. Carlson
One of the more in-depth, detailed, condemnations of a forgery, and the suspected forger behind it.

The Art of the Forger: A Thousand Years of Deception, Frank Arnau, 1961, LOC: 61-5317

Maps, Myths, and Men: The Story of the Vinland Map, Kirsten A. Seaver, 2004, 0-8047-4963
A definitive case for the forgery of the Vinland map, along with the identification of the "primer" used, and a suggested culprit.

A Sorry Saga: Theft, Forgery, Scholarship... and the Vinland Map, John Paul Floyd
From my Amazon review, "Anyone who still contends the Vinland Map may be authentic is strongly advised to read this work, because they will either have their minds changed, or at least, see the impossible task they would have in addressing the problems with continuing holding their position. I do not envy them. I would say... although the author is more modest than to assert this... the case put together here is unassailable, and the verdict of "forgery", undeniable."

Great Forgers and Famous Fakes, Charles Hamilton, 1980, ISBN: 0-517-540762

Literary Hoaxes, Melissa Katsoulis, 2009

Telling Tales: A History of Literary Hoaxes, by Melissa Katsoulis

Fakes & Frauds, Varieties of Deception in Print and Manuscript, Myers & Harris, eds., 1989

Drawing the Line: Tales of Maps and Cartocontroversy, Mark Monmonier, 1995

Provenance, Salisbury & Sujo, 2009, The Penguin Press, 2009, ISBN-10: 0143117408

The Map Thief: The Gripping Story of an Esteemed Rare-Map Dealer Who Made Millions Stealing Priceless Maps, Michael Blanding, Avery, 2014, ISBN-10: 1592409407

Sacred and Stolen, Confessions of a Museum Director, Gary Vikan, Select Books, 2016, ISBN-13: 978-1590793930
A colorful, personal account of Mr. Vikan's years as Museum Director of the Walter's, and the problematic situations and items he encountered.

The Spanish Forger, William Voelkle, Morgan Library, 1978, ISBN-10: 0875980546
This early book on the Spanish Forger covers several dozen of that artists nefarious works. Since publication, many more have been discovered. This book contains an image of the one forgery we do know that Wilfrid Voynich sold, a "Columbus Miniature". For some time, this work was considered as one of the Spanish Forgers, but Voelkle thinks it is by another hand. I've written about this forgery here.