Beatles Autographs
PHOTOGRAPHS
Beatles Autographs
Although
all areas of Beatles autographed material are immensely popular these
days, signed photographs are definitely among the elite of these items.
Beatles signed photographs are quite rare, especially of late, as most on the
market over the past 15 years have found permanent homes in various collections.
It was not at all common for an autograph seeking Beatles fan to have an
8" X 10" photograph readily available when their dream came true and
they were face to face with their idols. As for the photos themselves, there
were a few various glossy promotional photographs produced either by Capitol
Records or The Beatles' organization for promotional
purposes. In addition, there were commercially available photographs used when
obtaining their signatures. Not very many authentic signed examples of these
photos have been available over the years. Beatles photographs came in a
few different basic sizes: 6" X 8", 7" X 9", 8" X
10" (or 10" X 8"). Larger signed photos have surfaced but are extremely
rare. These larger photos could be 11" X 14" or even
12" X 15". The value of these larger examples could be as much as 50%
more than the same pose signed in 8" X 10" form. Included in this
category, to a lesser degree of value, are signed magazine photos and the like.
These can range from a newspaper clipping (least valuable in comparison) to a
beautiful full color magazine spread. These can be intact in the publication or
cleanly cut out. An added bonus in obtaining a nicely signed photograph of The
Beatles is the fact that they were extremely photogenic and they remain, by far
the most photographed foursome in history. It's a shame that there weren't more
photos signed by the group in their heyday and the resulting rarity is not at
all lost on current market values. Signed photos will always be at the top of
many a "want list" perched very nearly alongside signed album covers.
Click on any photograph to view an enlargement of that item
PH3. A Color Magazine Photo Signed By The Beatles
Authentic signed photos of The Beatles are a rare
commodity, especially color images like this one. Carefully removed from an
early British fan magazine, this photo measures 11 ¾” x 9” and features an image
of the group in their light gray collarless suits as photographed by the
legendary Dezo Hoffmann in mid-1963. All signatures date from August/September
1963 and each Beatle has signed in blue ballpoint pen above or on his respective
image. The page is in good condition, with some scuffing to the maroon photo
background, minor creasing and small tape stains in the lower left- and
right-hand corners. When you consider that fewer than 20 fully-signed color
images of The Beatles have surfaced to date, you begin to grasp the extreme
scarcity of this item…..$12,500
RESERVED
PH 2. A Photograph Signed The Day The Beatles Met Elvis
As far back as the late 1950s and their formative days as ‘The Quarrymen’, the members of The Beatles always idolized Elvis Presley. Paul McCartney has said, “Every time I felt low, I just put on an Elvis record and I’d feel great, beautiful.” John Lennon once claimed that “Nothing really affected me until I heard Elvis. If there hadn’t been Elvis, there would not have been The Beatles.” In 1975, Lennon told Tom Snyder (on the “Tomorrow Show”) that when he went to the movies as a teen and saw Elvis up on the screen, he thought to himself “Now that’s a good job”. He also said that the experience of hearing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ for the first time made his hair stand on end and that Elvis was the only one person in the U.S. the band really wanted to meet. In 1962, before they had achieved any type of real fame, The Beatles decided that they were going to be bigger than Elvis – a declaration also made by manager Brian Epstein when touting The Beatles to British record companies. This was, of course, an incredibly lofty goal considering that Elvis Presley was the biggest star at the time and they were virtual unknowns.
On Friday, August 27, 1965, The Beatles finally had the opportunity to meet their idol. At the time, they were indeed bigger stars than Elvis! On the final leg of their 1965 North American tour, they swung out to California to play San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. While in L.A. for the Hollywood Bowl show, they met Elvis at his home at 565 Perugia Way in posh Bel Air. They were accompanied by Brian Epstein, Neil Aspinall, Mal Evans, Tony Barrow and journalist Chris Hutchins of The New Musical Express. The meeting had been arranged by Elvis’ famous manager “Colonel” Tom Parker.
While a bit awkward at first, Elvis broke the ice by telling the boys: “Look guys, if you’re going to just sit there and stare at me, I’m going to bed.” Everyone laughed and for the next three hours, they had a great time – chatting about songwriting, films, tours, records and cars and also playing roulette and jamming. During the hour-long jam session, Elvis played the bass, John played rhythm guitar, Paul played piano and George played third guitar. Elvis told Ringo, “Too bad we left the drums in Memphis.”
As the gathering was coming to an end, a few members of Elvis’ inner circle obtained The Beatles’ autographs on signed photos. Here is one such photo signed on that historic night – autographed for Elvis’ first cousin Billy Smith, who was quite happy to meet The Beatles. All four have signed beautifully in blue ballpoint pen, with Ringo inscribing “To Billy Best Wishes from the Beatles”. The photo, which features The Beatles holding teacups, was taken by photographer Robert Whittaker and is an outtake shot from the session that produced the “Beatles ‘65” album cover. The photograph measures 6 ½” x 8 ½” and is in near perfect condition, having been very well kept over the years. This item comes with a signed statement from Billy Smith stating that he personally obtained the autographs on that day.
Unfortunately, no recordings from that night exist and the only known photos were taken outside as The Beatles left Elvis’ home. This spectacular signed piece places you inside Elvis’ Bel Air mansion, serving as one of the very few tangible pieces of a truly momentous occasion – the legendary meeting of the greatest icons in rock ‘n roll history. It is undeniably the ultimate prize for any Beatles and Elvis fan!.....$25,000
