Any manuscript handwritten by its author; in common usage, a handwritten signature.
Aside from its value as a collector's item, an early or corrected draft of a work may show its stages of composition or "correct" final version. The earliest autograph signature of a famous person is probably the Leonardo da Vinci , Michelangelo , and {{link=Ariosto, Ludovico">Ludovico Ariosto . Since the 18th century, autograph material of notable people in the arts, sciences, or public life has been more abundant.