Claude’s 1911 Passport: Confirming Parentage for Authentication

Claude Valsuani’s Italian passport, issued in Messina on May 19, 1911, provides independent governmental verification of his identity during the period when the foundry was actively operating.

Key Authentication Detail

The passport identifies the holder as “Valsuani Claudio” and includes the notation “figlio di sig. Carlo” (son of Mr. Carlo). This is significant because:

• It confirms the father-son relationship (Carlo to Claude) documented in the birth certificate, providing a second independent source.
• It was issued in 1911, three years after the foundry’s formal establishment date (1908), placing Claude as an active adult during the foundry’s early years.
• The passport was issued by the Kingdom of Italy, an authority with no interest in art world politics, making it an impartial primary source.

For authentication professionals, this passport eliminates any reasonable doubt about the identity behind the “C.” initial on Valsuani bronze stamps.