Handwritten Beatles material consists of anything that was scripted or printed by one or more members of the band with content above and beyond a simple signature with or without a short salutation. Quite simply this refers to notes, letters, memos, bylines, etc. In the early days, before they were a worldwide phenomenon, group members - particularly John, Paul and George would actually answer a quantity of fan mail delivered to them or even slid under their doors by adoring female fans. They would take the time to write short notes or letters in response, often signing with "love" and "X's". Handwritten correspondence was not limited to fan mail, however. Although the vast majority of the letters, notes and postcards were not originally intended to become collector's items because of their personal nature, sometimes the recipients of such material realized that there was a monetary value inherent and often the decision was made to place them on the market either through auction or private sale. The value of any item that is handwritten by a member of The Beatles is directly proportional to two factors: the content of the writing and the amount of writing. The content is the most important, especially if it contains any information about the history of The Beatles or a band member's state of mind during a particular period. For example, a John Lennon 4 page handwritten letter from Hamburg in 1961 to a friend discussing the grueling schedule of The Beatles and the fact that he might be discouraged about the group ever fulfilling his dreams and goals, would be a piece for the serious collector and would have a relative high dollar value. By comparison, a 2 line postcard written by John in the mid 1970's with minimal content would be more affordable for a collector who would simply like to own a piece of Lennon writing. All in all, Beatles handwritten material can be important and exciting to own as it is always a bit more personal than a signature, which, of course is far more abundant. Finally, handwritten material represents a very special intimate part of The Beatles lives that were seldom imparted to the public in any way. To acquire even one of these treasures is indeed quite an accomplishment for any fan or collector. 

Click on any photograph to view an enlargement of that item


SI5.  A GEORGE HARRISON HANDWRITTEN LETTER TO A FAN, AUGUST 1963

From August 19 through August 24, 1963, The Beatles played a series of shows at the Gaumont Theater in Bournemouth on the southern coast of England. During their extended stay in this seaside resort town, the band took up residence at the very posh and very exclusive Palace Court Hotel. While there, photographer Robert Freeman took the cover shot that would be featured on the front of the band’s second album, “With The Beatles”, which was released a few months later. Between gigs, they took time out to answer some of their fan mail.  George also wrote his first song which appeared on a Beatles album, “Don’t Bother Me”, while sick in bed at the Palace Court Hotel during this time in Bournemouth.

This 2-page letter, handwritten by George Harrison “To Boote” on Palace Court stationery, is filled with interesting references. His opening line mentions the chart-topping “She Loves You” which he urges the fan to buy (it was released on August 23rd, one day before they left Bournemouth). It would instantly hit number one, and went on to become the best selling Beatles single in ever the U.K. He follows this with a reference to ‘jelly babies’, the soft British confection he had recently told the press was their favorite candy. After his comment was published, British fans inundated the group with boxes of jelly babies. In this letter, Harrison denies their affection for jelly babies, stating that no one in the band likes them and that the press made it up. (His published comment would have further repercussions a few months later when American concertgoers showered the band with thousands of jelly babies, a much harder candy The Beatles disdained because of the pain they inflicted when they were hit by them on stage.) Harrison then makes a reference to the band’s ever-growing presence in London as their recording career progressed, a move which upset their original Liverpool fans and, as they earned international acclaim, proved to be permanent.

Harrison additionally comments on the frenzied audiences at Beatles shows, stating that “we don’t mind girls screaming in the noisy numbers, but I think we would prefer them to be a little quieter in the slow songs.”  He also alludes to what was obviously a question about their forthcoming shows, telling the fan that there are no scheduled appearances at the Gaumont State Theater in London’s Kilburn High Road, but that they will be playing London’s Royal Albert Hall. (This was the ‘Great Pop Prom’ show held on September 15, 1963. The Beatles topped the bill, sharing the program with eleven other acts, including a new up-and-coming band called The Rolling Stones.) Harrison signs off with a full signature which is extraordinary and as nice as he could have signed on that day, followed by three kisses (“XXX”).

The letter is written in blue ballpoint pen. The two pages each measure 5” x 8”, have three mailing fold lines and are in very good condition overall. Letters written by members of The Beatles to their fans are quite scarce. While they would reply to fan letters early in their career, the practice would stop altogether by the end of 1963 and into 1964 as they became international stars and virtually untouchable — and unreachable…..$7,500

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE  CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE

SOLD


SI4.  A Letter Written By John Lennon To A Fan In Early 1963

This letter was fully handwritten by John Lennon in black fountain pen on a sheet of stationary paper which measures 8” x 10”.  He starts off by writing his return address in the upper right hand corner: “251 MENLOVE AVE  WOOLTON LIVERPOOL 25 LANCS” (Lancashire).  This, of course, is "Mendips", the childhood home where he lived with his Aunt Mimi from 1945 until 1963, when The Beatles' growing fame necessitated a move to London.

The letter reads:

“Dear Dawn,

       Thanks for your letter,

glad you liked the show.

          For fan-club information,

I can’t tell you about opening a

Stoke-on-Trent branch but I suggest

you get in touch with the Northern

Branch here in Liverpool and they can

let you know all about it.  The address is

NEMS 12-14 Whitechapel

                         Liverpool 1.

                            Lancs.

               Thanks again – hope to be

in Hanley again soon.

                     Cherrio (sp)

                        love

                     John

                            Lennon

                                     X"

Hanley was one of six towns that comprised Stoke-on-Trent and The Beatles played there only twice in their career -- on March 3, 1963 (the final night of the Helen Shapiro tour, during which The Beatles were an opening act for a 16 year old girl) and again on May 19, 1963 (the second night of their tour with Roy Orbison). 

This letter, in response to one the fan had written to John following the March show in Hanley, as the signature dates from early March of 1963. (By May, just two months later, characteristics within John’s signature had changed noticeably). On March 5th, just two days after that first Hanley gig, the band recorded their third single "From Me To You/Thank You Girl" and on March 22nd, their first LP "Please Please Me" was released. By the time they returned to Hanley with Orbison in May, The Beatles were so enormously popular that they would soon grab the spotlight from the American headliner, taking top billing on the tour.  They had already come a long way in just two months.

This letter represents one of the very few times that Lennon personally answered fan mail with a handwritten letter and it is certainly one of the last times he ever wrote to anyone from "Mendips" before his move to London. Once he took up residence in the city, the demands on his time grew exponentially and he rarely had the time for long personal replies like this one.

The charm of this letter lies not only in the fact that it was written from his childhood home, but that he takes the time to personally direct a fan to the proper source for Beatles fan club information. Naturally he provides her with the address for Brian Epstein's NEMS store on Whitechapel Street in Liverpool, which at the time was the "Eppy-center" of the Beatle universe! Shortly thereafter, The Official Beatles Fan Club would be located on Monmouth Street in London.

The letter is in very good condition, with non detracting mailing fold marks, tape residue at top left and a small tear to the right of this residue.

Letters handwritten by John Lennon are extremely desirable and few are offered for sale in any given year. This is a truly rare opportunity to own a letter written by John just prior to The Beatles' quick astronomical rise to an unprecedented level of fame, which began right after this letter was written, following the release of their first LP record “Please Please Me”…..$19,500

CLICK HERE FOR LARGER IMAGE
 

RETURN TO HOME PAGE              RETURN TO PARENT PAGE