Solo Items : JOHN LENNON
Beatles Autographs

Click on any photograph to view an enlargement of that item

JL2.  A Color Trading Card Signed By John Lennon

Here is a trading card manufactured in 1964 by A. & B. C. Chewing Gum Ltd. in England, number 22 in the series of 50, which features a smiling color shot of John Lennon dating from late 1963.  This card has been signed very nicely in blue ballpoint on the front by Lennon above his image.  The signature dates from late 1964 and is a nice, complete example from the period.  It measures 2 ¼" x 3 ¼" and is in excellent condition overall.  The previous owner has had a tape stain professionally removed by a paper restoration expert.  Although some of the Beatles gum cards were printed with facsimile signatures on the front (specifically the TOPPS U.S. issue cards), in reality trading cards which were actually signed by any member of The Beatles are exceedingly rare....$4,000

JL1.  A Copy Of “In His Own Write” Signed By John Lennon

John Lennon’s first book “In His Own Write” was published in March of 1964 while The Beatles were in the midst of filming their first feature movie “A Hard Day’s Night”.  The book contains illustrations of amusing figures drawn by John as well as short stories and poems written by him using offbeat language, puns and wordplays. The book was (and still is!) both witty and funny, all the while showcasing John’s creative side as a great wordsmith (in addition to being a great tunesmith, which the world was quickly discovering).  On April 23, 1964, the well-known Foyles bookstore in London held a literary luncheon at the posh Dorchester Hotel in honor of John’s achievement, which at the time was being hailed as a masterpiece of contemporary wordplay. 

John hadn’t slept much the night before after a late night of clubbing. He had to be on the film set early in the morning, but he left well before noon in order to make the function on time.  He attended with his wife Cynthia, and both were unprepared for the magnitude of a Foyles literary luncheon, as the room was filled with senior members of the literary establishment.  John had no idea beforehand that he was to make a speech and, when called up to do so, he uttered only eight words” “Thank you very much, it’s been a pleasure”, much to the bewilderment of many who were present.  Additional attendees at the luncheon were Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein, actor Wilfred Brambell (who played Paul’s grandfather in “A Hard Day’s Night”), singer Helen Shapiro (for whom The Beatles opened on her tour only 14 months earlier) and Lionel Bart (award-winning composer and lyricist of “Oliver!”).

This first printing book has been beautifully-signed by Lennon in blue ballpoint on the flyleaf (as most were). It measures 5½” x 7”.  While John was the only signer of this book (the most desirable way to have it), most books signed at the Foyles luncheon contained multiple signatures with different combinations of the above-mentioned attending personalities.  This book was signed for Miss Pat Batley, who was seated at table 17 and was invited because she worked for the London College of Printing.  The book has been nicely framed (exposing the entire signed page) along with two photos of Lennon taken at The Dorchester, a signed statement from obtainer Pat Batley as well as her original and very rare program/guest list from the luncheon.  In all, a great package relating to John’s first and arguably best book .... $6,500

CLICK ON IMAGES TO VIEW LARGER & ADDITIONAL IMAGES

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

SOLD
 

RETURN TO HOME PAGE                RETURN TO PARENT PAGE