MAJOR GEORGE BYRON

WHAT INFAMOUS CRIMES DID HE COMMIT?

• Claimed to be Lord Byron's son
• Forged a 200 year old letter from the poet
• Forged the famous poem Don Jaun
• The forgeries weren't noticed untill recently
• By a expert at the New York Public Libary

WHY...?

• Well besides the obvious reason of money...
• He wanted to be famous, very famous
• His supposed origins did just that
• Claimed to be the illegitimate child of Lord Byron
• and the, Spanish lady, Countess De Luna

TIMELINE

• Lord Byron was born on 1/22/1788
• He died on 4/19/1824
• George Byron was born in 1820
• He forged the documents in 1851
• He died in 1871

WHAT MATERIALS WERE NEEDED?

• Ink appropriate to the time period
• Paper appropriate to the time period
• A very skilled and steady hand
• A large sample of handwriting
• Lots of time

HOW COULD THIS CRIME BE COMMITTED TODAY?

• New technology makes it harder but still very possible
• The materials could still be amassed (paper, ink, original)
• As long as you have the original you can forge or trace
• Fake artwork and documents are found very day

HOW TO PREVENT BEING A VICTIM?

• To prevent this crime the best thing to do is...
• Have an expert analyze the art or document before buying
• Handwriting, inks, paper, and other materials
• can be examined for authenticity and legitimacy