THE BEATLES
1959 The Futurama Guitar of George Harrison
2024 SOLD for $ 1.27M by Julien's
New styles of music fascinate the English teenagers. The skiffle is an easy way to try they luck : they sing a mixture of folk and blues accompanied by guitars and by weird do-it-yourself instruments. John Lennon creates in 1956 a skiffle band named The Quarrymen.
He early meets two other boys from Liverpool, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. During the summer of 1957 Paul and George hitchhike together. With their guitars, of course.
To do better than the skiffle, two styles are possible, jazz and rock-and-roll. An electric guitar should be the next choice.
Mona Best decides to help young musicians by opening a rock and roll live club. She buys an espresso machine and opens the Casbah Coffee Club in her cellar in Liverpool on August 29, 1959.
A fan of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, John is interested. He comes to Mona with three guitarist friends, Paul, George and Ken Brown. Needing a name for their group, they again use The Quarrymen. Pete, Mona's elder son, will soon become the drummer of The Beatles and as such the predecessor of Ringo.
While helping the Bests to prepare for the opening, John buys his first electric guitar, a Höfner Club 40, with the help of £ 17 brought by Aunt Mimi, the real starting point for his legendary career.
His choice of the Club 40 had been made with George who at 16 was already a great connoisseur of guitars. George had played a jazz acoustic Höfner that he exchanges to acquire a Club 40 and its pickups. George and John now play the same type of guitar. Paul will follow.
In the USA Buddy Holly plays a Fender Stratocaster but that brand is not available in Liverpool. In November 1959 George purchases for 55 guineas with his Mom as a guarantor a solid body electric Futurama by CSHN, a Czech ersatz of a Strat.
George made an extensive use of the Futurama although he later acknowledged that it was "a dog" to play. A historian considers that it was played by him on over 324 Beatles performances including Hamburg and Cavern Club in 1960 and 1961 plus on their first official recordings for Polydor in 1961.
He donated the Futurama in 1964 in a promotional event. The Futurama was sold for $ 1.27M from a lower estimate of $ 600K by Julien's on November 20, 2024, lot 236.
George owned his Club 40 until 1966 when he accepted that it becomes the prize in a pop band competition in Germany. It was sold for $ 430K by Julien's on May 19, 2018, lot 550. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. A next George's preferred guitar was a Gretsch Duo Jet still owned by his estate.
He early meets two other boys from Liverpool, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. During the summer of 1957 Paul and George hitchhike together. With their guitars, of course.
To do better than the skiffle, two styles are possible, jazz and rock-and-roll. An electric guitar should be the next choice.
Mona Best decides to help young musicians by opening a rock and roll live club. She buys an espresso machine and opens the Casbah Coffee Club in her cellar in Liverpool on August 29, 1959.
A fan of Bill Haley and Elvis Presley, John is interested. He comes to Mona with three guitarist friends, Paul, George and Ken Brown. Needing a name for their group, they again use The Quarrymen. Pete, Mona's elder son, will soon become the drummer of The Beatles and as such the predecessor of Ringo.
While helping the Bests to prepare for the opening, John buys his first electric guitar, a Höfner Club 40, with the help of £ 17 brought by Aunt Mimi, the real starting point for his legendary career.
His choice of the Club 40 had been made with George who at 16 was already a great connoisseur of guitars. George had played a jazz acoustic Höfner that he exchanges to acquire a Club 40 and its pickups. George and John now play the same type of guitar. Paul will follow.
In the USA Buddy Holly plays a Fender Stratocaster but that brand is not available in Liverpool. In November 1959 George purchases for 55 guineas with his Mom as a guarantor a solid body electric Futurama by CSHN, a Czech ersatz of a Strat.
George made an extensive use of the Futurama although he later acknowledged that it was "a dog" to play. A historian considers that it was played by him on over 324 Beatles performances including Hamburg and Cavern Club in 1960 and 1961 plus on their first official recordings for Polydor in 1961.
He donated the Futurama in 1964 in a promotional event. The Futurama was sold for $ 1.27M from a lower estimate of $ 600K by Julien's on November 20, 2024, lot 236.
George owned his Club 40 until 1966 when he accepted that it becomes the prize in a pop band competition in Germany. It was sold for $ 430K by Julien's on May 19, 2018, lot 550. Please watch the video shared by the auction house. A next George's preferred guitar was a Gretsch Duo Jet still owned by his estate.
1962 The Gibson Jumbo of John Lennon
2015 SOLD for $ 2.4M by Julien's
Electric guitars play a key role from very early in the career of The Beatles up to becoming a symbol of the music of the new generation.
The Beatles liked the Gibson ES-175 guitar of their friend Tony Sheridan. John and George desired to own guitars from this US brand. Their choice went on the Jumbo Electric J-160E that was not regularly available in England. This acoustic-electric hybrid model can be used unconnected, which is nice when you are traveling.
The two identical marvels are delivered to them on September 10, 1962 through a specialized shop in Liverpool. These instruments meet their needs and they make a regular use of them for composition and recording, at home and in the studio. Their collaboration is so close that they swap their Gibsons, certainly unknowingly.
A few days after a Christmas show in 1963, John observes that his guitar has left. He will never see it again.
For the last 45 years, a guitarist living in San Diego owned this instrument without identifying its glorious past. In 2014, he realized the likeness of his Gibson with its widely documented twin which had been kept by George. Serial numbers are very close together.
The veins in the wood allow the identification of a guitar with the same certainty as fingerprints for a human. The best expert of equipment used by the Beatles compared the instrument with period photographs. He is formal and admiring : half a century after being pinched, John Lennon's Gibson has resurfaced in its unmodified configuration, like a time capsule.
This historic guitar was sold for $ 2.4M from a lower estimate of $ 600K by Julien's on November 7, 2015, lot 278.
Its photo in an exhibit at Austin in 2015 was offered to the public domain and is available on Wikimedia:
The Beatles liked the Gibson ES-175 guitar of their friend Tony Sheridan. John and George desired to own guitars from this US brand. Their choice went on the Jumbo Electric J-160E that was not regularly available in England. This acoustic-electric hybrid model can be used unconnected, which is nice when you are traveling.
The two identical marvels are delivered to them on September 10, 1962 through a specialized shop in Liverpool. These instruments meet their needs and they make a regular use of them for composition and recording, at home and in the studio. Their collaboration is so close that they swap their Gibsons, certainly unknowingly.
A few days after a Christmas show in 1963, John observes that his guitar has left. He will never see it again.
For the last 45 years, a guitarist living in San Diego owned this instrument without identifying its glorious past. In 2014, he realized the likeness of his Gibson with its widely documented twin which had been kept by George. Serial numbers are very close together.
The veins in the wood allow the identification of a guitar with the same certainty as fingerprints for a human. The best expert of equipment used by the Beatles compared the instrument with period photographs. He is formal and admiring : half a century after being pinched, John Lennon's Gibson has resurfaced in its unmodified configuration, like a time capsule.
This historic guitar was sold for $ 2.4M from a lower estimate of $ 600K by Julien's on November 7, 2015, lot 278.
Its photo in an exhibit at Austin in 2015 was offered to the public domain and is available on Wikimedia:
_-_Ladies_and_Gentlemen..._the_Beatles!_exhibit_at_LBJ_Presidential_Library%2C_Austin%2C_TX%2C_2015-06-12_11.37.55.jpg)
1963 Ludwig Drum Kit of Ringo Starr
2015 SOLD for $ 2.1M by Julien's
The Beatles reach the top position in the hit parade in February 1963. They now require the best instruments, not only for guitars. In April, Epstein and Starr choose together a three piece drum kit of Ludwig brand in a London specialized shop.
Ringo takes possession of his new instrument on May 12. The activity of the Beatles is intense and even frantic. Between that date and February 4 of the following year, Ringo uses his Ludwig drums in 200 live performances and 180 studio recordings, covering all titles from this period of great enthusiasm preceding their trip to America.
The Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit was retained by Ringo and has not been seen in public for half a century. However, it was used in part in 1969 and 1970 by Paul McCartney when he recorded his first solo albums.
The prestigious drum kit of Ringo Starr was sold for $ 2.1M from a lower estimate of $ 300K by Julien's on December 4, 2015, lot 696 in the sale of the collection of Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach. No less than seven drum kits used by the musician with the Beatles or in his subsequent career were offered in this auction. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
Ringo takes possession of his new instrument on May 12. The activity of the Beatles is intense and even frantic. Between that date and February 4 of the following year, Ringo uses his Ludwig drums in 200 live performances and 180 studio recordings, covering all titles from this period of great enthusiasm preceding their trip to America.
The Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit was retained by Ringo and has not been seen in public for half a century. However, it was used in part in 1969 and 1970 by Paul McCartney when he recorded his first solo albums.
The prestigious drum kit of Ringo Starr was sold for $ 2.1M from a lower estimate of $ 300K by Julien's on December 4, 2015, lot 696 in the sale of the collection of Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach. No less than seven drum kits used by the musician with the Beatles or in his subsequent career were offered in this auction. Please watch the video shared by the auction house.
(1964)-1965 John Lennon's Framus Acoustic Guitar
2024 SOLD for $ 2.86M by Julien's
A German Framus 12 string Hootenanny acoustic guitar acquired by John Lennon in 1964 was played by him in 1965 by in the recording of the Help! album. It is photo-matched to these sessions and also with George Harrison for a further 1965 album, and is seen in the Help! film.
At the end of 1965 John gave the guitar to a member of a British pop duo. The instrument went out of view and passed in the attic of their road manager. After nearly six decades in a dusty oblivion, the sleeping beauty was retrieved in its Australian Maton case paired for John at the shop with the brand new instrument in 1964. The old man said : "Oh ! That's John's".
The Hootenanny had been one of only three non located guitars played by The Beatles. Its authentication was led by Julien's auction house. A reset of the loosened neck, consisting of removing the piece and reassembling it to the body in a suitable angle, was made by a specialized workshop under a non disclosure agreement.
The guitar was sold for $ 2.86M from a lower estimate of $ 600K by Julien's on May 29, 2024, lot 51. The usual price for the model is in the region of $ 3,000. Please watch the video shared by Andy Babiuk, the expert of the Beatles instruments.
The sonic blue Fender Stratocaster used by Lennon on Ticket To Ride and the Gretsch Country Gentleman played by Harrison in the Ed Sullivan show are still missing.
At the end of 1965 John gave the guitar to a member of a British pop duo. The instrument went out of view and passed in the attic of their road manager. After nearly six decades in a dusty oblivion, the sleeping beauty was retrieved in its Australian Maton case paired for John at the shop with the brand new instrument in 1964. The old man said : "Oh ! That's John's".
The Hootenanny had been one of only three non located guitars played by The Beatles. Its authentication was led by Julien's auction house. A reset of the loosened neck, consisting of removing the piece and reassembling it to the body in a suitable angle, was made by a specialized workshop under a non disclosure agreement.
The guitar was sold for $ 2.86M from a lower estimate of $ 600K by Julien's on May 29, 2024, lot 51. The usual price for the model is in the region of $ 3,000. Please watch the video shared by Andy Babiuk, the expert of the Beatles instruments.
The sonic blue Fender Stratocaster used by Lennon on Ticket To Ride and the Gretsch Country Gentleman played by Harrison in the Ed Sullivan show are still missing.
1966 Images of a Woman
2024 SOLD for $ 1.74M by Christie's
In July 1966 the Beatles are in Tokyo. They are placed in lockdown after the concerts in the Presidential suite of the Hilton hotel to keep them safe against the hordes of fans. To keep them quiet, their tour promoter provides them with painting material which they use during three nights. Even in the theater, the audience is held far away from the stage.
The four performers use the same paper simultaneously, each of them on a corner as a silent eight hand work. The picture was much later titled Image of a Woman by a sexual minded Japanese journalist. It is nevertheless fully abstract on a background of psychedelic colors. A lamp in the middle of the surface left a blank circle when it was removed. The group used that space for their four signatures. They left the picture to the local Beatles fan club.
This acrylic and watercolor on Japanese art paper 55 x 79 cm made in a unique moment of respite of the Beatles was sold for $ 155K by Philip Weiss on September 14, 2012 and for $ 1.74M by Christie's on February 1, 2024, lot 39.
This piece is the only painting ever made and signed by the four Beatles.
The four performers use the same paper simultaneously, each of them on a corner as a silent eight hand work. The picture was much later titled Image of a Woman by a sexual minded Japanese journalist. It is nevertheless fully abstract on a background of psychedelic colors. A lamp in the middle of the surface left a blank circle when it was removed. The group used that space for their four signatures. They left the picture to the local Beatles fan club.
This acrylic and watercolor on Japanese art paper 55 x 79 cm made in a unique moment of respite of the Beatles was sold for $ 155K by Philip Weiss on September 14, 2012 and for $ 1.74M by Christie's on February 1, 2024, lot 39.
This piece is the only painting ever made and signed by the four Beatles.
(1965)-1967 John Lennon's repainted Rolls-Royce
1985 SOLD for $ 2.3M by Sotheby's
Rolls-Royce is a natural choice for an English performing star. John Lennon began woth a second hand car. He then ordered a brand new Phantom V limousine, the most expensive Rolls-Royce model at that time. The matte black painted car was delivered to him in 1965.
John had added a record player with a suspension preventing the needle to jump, an 8 track tape player, a TV set and a radio telephone. Special back seats could be converted into a double bed. He also hired a driver.
After a damage, John decided to have the limousine repainted in psychedelic gypsy style with a bright yellow background. That decorative work was finished in 1967. The artist Steve Weaver charged £ 290 for his six week job.
The car was ready on May 25, 1967, just for the release of the Sgt. Pepper's album. It was immediately tracked by hordes of paparazzi. According to Lennon an old woman stuck the car with her umbrella while screaming "You swine! How dare you do that to a Rolls-Royce!".
Its time of daily use was over. John purchased a white painted Phantom V in 1968. In 1977 he and Yoko Ono donated the psychedelic car to a museum. It was sold for $ 2.3M from an estimate of $ 300K by Sotheby's on June 29, 1985.
The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution edvvc, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
John had added a record player with a suspension preventing the needle to jump, an 8 track tape player, a TV set and a radio telephone. Special back seats could be converted into a double bed. He also hired a driver.
After a damage, John decided to have the limousine repainted in psychedelic gypsy style with a bright yellow background. That decorative work was finished in 1967. The artist Steve Weaver charged £ 290 for his six week job.
The car was ready on May 25, 1967, just for the release of the Sgt. Pepper's album. It was immediately tracked by hordes of paparazzi. According to Lennon an old woman stuck the car with her umbrella while screaming "You swine! How dare you do that to a Rolls-Royce!".
Its time of daily use was over. John purchased a white painted Phantom V in 1968. In 1977 he and Yoko Ono donated the psychedelic car to a museum. It was sold for $ 2.3M from an estimate of $ 300K by Sotheby's on June 29, 1985.
The image is shared by Wikimedia with attribution edvvc, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
1967 A Day in the Life by John Lennon
2010 SOLD for $ 1.2M by Sotheby's
Anything that directly affects the creation of a Beatles song has the value of a relic. On July 10, 2008, Christie's sold for £ 420K a manuscript of Give Peace a Chance, which was not even autograph. John had problems to read his own poem and made it being copied by a girl.
In 1967 the fame of the Beatles is already huge but still contested. John Lennon wrote in bulk on a sheet the lines of "A Day In The Life" and brought many reworks. Happy with his work, he copied his poem in a more structured manner on the back of the same sheet. This original piece, so typical of the spontaneous creation of John, was sold for $ 1.2M from a lower estimate of $ 500K by Sotheby's on June 18, 2010.
The words are simple but the thought is dark enough to generate dream and interpretation. After an addition by Paul McCartney, the final version of the song will be banned by the BBC which saw therein a hidden apology on LSD, the serious bone of contention between the generations at that time. Such a case of censorship is extremely rare in England.
In 1967 the fame of the Beatles is already huge but still contested. John Lennon wrote in bulk on a sheet the lines of "A Day In The Life" and brought many reworks. Happy with his work, he copied his poem in a more structured manner on the back of the same sheet. This original piece, so typical of the spontaneous creation of John, was sold for $ 1.2M from a lower estimate of $ 500K by Sotheby's on June 18, 2010.
The words are simple but the thought is dark enough to generate dream and interpretation. After an addition by Paul McCartney, the final version of the song will be banned by the BBC which saw therein a hidden apology on LSD, the serious bone of contention between the generations at that time. Such a case of censorship is extremely rare in England.
1968 Hey Jude by Paul McCartney
2020 SOLD for $ 910K by Julien's
Returning to the matrimonial home, Cynthia Lennon finds Yoko Ono in a bathrobe, having tea with John. She says : "Oh hi". Adultery is obvious and separation is inevitable.
Paul McCartney was close to Cynthia and Julian. He hums Hey Jules with the idea of comforting the five-year-old boy. He visits Cynthia in June 1968 with this song project. It will be Hey Jude, for a reason of sound. John lets it go. It will be the Beatles' biggest 1968 hit. It was bringing tears to Cynthia's eyes, and Julian was very grateful to Paul for it.
The autograph manuscript was listed for auction by Christie's for April 30, 2002. Paul successfully opposed it in court by disputing the ownership.
There are two almost identical copies of a 33 x 20 cm lyric instruction sheet. Both are unsigned autographs by Paul. The poem is limited to a few lines of the four verses, interspersed with the instructions Break, Middle, and Ending or Ending-Fading.
One of these recording notes was sold by Christie's for £ 62K on June 20, 2014, lot 93. The other, which was used in the studio and comes with a sheet music for the same song, was sold by Julien's on April 10, 2020 for $ 910K from a lower estimate of $ 160K, lot 205.
Paul McCartney was close to Cynthia and Julian. He hums Hey Jules with the idea of comforting the five-year-old boy. He visits Cynthia in June 1968 with this song project. It will be Hey Jude, for a reason of sound. John lets it go. It will be the Beatles' biggest 1968 hit. It was bringing tears to Cynthia's eyes, and Julian was very grateful to Paul for it.
The autograph manuscript was listed for auction by Christie's for April 30, 2002. Paul successfully opposed it in court by disputing the ownership.
There are two almost identical copies of a 33 x 20 cm lyric instruction sheet. Both are unsigned autographs by Paul. The poem is limited to a few lines of the four verses, interspersed with the instructions Break, Middle, and Ending or Ending-Fading.
One of these recording notes was sold by Christie's for £ 62K on June 20, 2014, lot 93. The other, which was used in the studio and comes with a sheet music for the same song, was sold by Julien's on April 10, 2020 for $ 910K from a lower estimate of $ 160K, lot 205.
1980 Album autographed by John Lennon to Chapman
2020 SOLD for $ 920K by Goldin
For young people, the Beatles songs express the hope for a better life, with more peace and brotherhood. Mark David Chapman, whose life is miserable, is disillusioned by the media information about the gentrification of John Lennon, which he says would be an unforgivable treason. He travels to New York to assassinate Lennon.
The crime takes place on December 8, 1980 at 10:50 p.m. when Lennon returns with Yoko Ono to the Dakota Building where they reside. Chapman, who had been waiting for them in the shade of the porch, fires five bullets in Lennon's back. The murderer is disarmed by the doorman but ostensibly holds a copy of J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, which tells the inexorable drift of a marginalized teenager.
Later that night, an album autographed by Lennon is found in one of the flower planters in the porch and brought to the police. He bears Chapman's fingerprints, as if he wanted to provide proof of his premeditation. Five hours earlier at the same location, a fan had photographed Lennon signing this album for his future killer.
The album is returned after Chapman's trial to its discoverer who hides it under his bed for 18 years before selling it through the specialist broker Moments in Time Inc. It was sold for $ 920K by Goldin on December 12, 2020, lot 9.
Chapman is still in prison forty years after his crime. Suffering from the Erostratus complex, he had not wanted to plead insanity.
The crime takes place on December 8, 1980 at 10:50 p.m. when Lennon returns with Yoko Ono to the Dakota Building where they reside. Chapman, who had been waiting for them in the shade of the porch, fires five bullets in Lennon's back. The murderer is disarmed by the doorman but ostensibly holds a copy of J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, which tells the inexorable drift of a marginalized teenager.
Later that night, an album autographed by Lennon is found in one of the flower planters in the porch and brought to the police. He bears Chapman's fingerprints, as if he wanted to provide proof of his premeditation. Five hours earlier at the same location, a fan had photographed Lennon signing this album for his future killer.
The album is returned after Chapman's trial to its discoverer who hides it under his bed for 18 years before selling it through the specialist broker Moments in Time Inc. It was sold for $ 920K by Goldin on December 12, 2020, lot 9.
Chapman is still in prison forty years after his crime. Suffering from the Erostratus complex, he had not wanted to plead insanity.
1990 The Beatles Portfolio by Avedon
2022 SOLD for £ 810K by Phillips
The 1960s appear half a century later as one of the most creative periods. With Pop Art, the themes are close to everyday life : the consumer society, of course, but also comic book and celebrities.
In terms of show business, it was a time for pop music and rock and roll. When the top photographic artists are still balancing between black and white and color, the stars do not hesitate : they want color, and as much psychedelic as possible.
A leading photographer follows the trend : on August 11, 1967 in London, Richard Avedon meets the Beatles and shoots portraits of each of the four boys. The boys posed with their beloved attributes : flowers for Paul, a white dove for Ringo, the eye of wisdom in the palm of George's hand and John's round spectacles.
Four selected photos were solarised for a psychedelic effect. The prints range from realism (for Ringo) to a figure close to abstraction (for John). Posters were edited in 1968.
The portfolio of four dye transfer prints 55 x 44 cm each is edited in 1990 in six copies plus three artist's proofs. The colors match the 1968 editions.
The 5/6 was sold for £ 810K by Phillips on November 22, 2022, lot 64.
The artist's proof 1/3 was sold for £ 740K by Christie's on October 15, 2021, lot 38.
The 3/6 was sold for $ 460K on October 10, 2005 by Christie's, lot 161. The 2/6 coming from the Richard Avedon Foundation was sold for € 445K by Christie's on November 20, 2010, lot 11.
In terms of show business, it was a time for pop music and rock and roll. When the top photographic artists are still balancing between black and white and color, the stars do not hesitate : they want color, and as much psychedelic as possible.
A leading photographer follows the trend : on August 11, 1967 in London, Richard Avedon meets the Beatles and shoots portraits of each of the four boys. The boys posed with their beloved attributes : flowers for Paul, a white dove for Ringo, the eye of wisdom in the palm of George's hand and John's round spectacles.
Four selected photos were solarised for a psychedelic effect. The prints range from realism (for Ringo) to a figure close to abstraction (for John). Posters were edited in 1968.
The portfolio of four dye transfer prints 55 x 44 cm each is edited in 1990 in six copies plus three artist's proofs. The colors match the 1968 editions.
The 5/6 was sold for £ 810K by Phillips on November 22, 2022, lot 64.
The artist's proof 1/3 was sold for £ 740K by Christie's on October 15, 2021, lot 38.
The 3/6 was sold for $ 460K on October 10, 2005 by Christie's, lot 161. The 2/6 coming from the Richard Avedon Foundation was sold for € 445K by Christie's on November 20, 2010, lot 11.
