NEW YORK, June 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The final photos taken of John Lennon on Dec 8, 1980, by Paul Goresh sold for $100,000; and the camera that took them for $5,900; the last book signed by Lennon sold for $18,000.
Highlights of the collection include:
Rare Beatles Ice Cream Box Sells For Over $3,000
Rare Beatles Ice Cream Box Sells For Over $3,000
Last Book Signed By John Lennon Sold For $18,000
Last Book Signed By John Lennon Sold For $18,000
Rare photos from the 16 Magazine archives
Unseen behind-the-scene photos on the set of Help!
One-of-a-kind negatives taken by Astrid Kirchherr in 1961
Numerous concert tickets from 1964-65
Rare toys, bubble gum cards, ephemera
Large stash of Beatles Fan Club memorabilia
Signed books by George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney
Over 1,000 The Beatles magazines
Last July,the first management contract the Beatles signed with Brian Epstein has sold at auction for $343,000, raising money for a charity foundation.
Epstein signed up Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Pete Best – the band’s first drummer – on January 24 1962, just two months after he first heard them play.
The deal had been cut between Epstein and McCartney, agreeing a management fee of 10 percent, rising to 15 percent if the band’s income reached $150 a week or more – roughly equivalent to $3,100 today. It included terms under which Epstein would find the band engagements, manage their schedule and oversee their publicity, and also look after “all matters concerning cloths, make-up and the presentation and constitution of the artists’ acts and also on all music to be performed.”
The paperwork, from “before any of the music that we know and love”, just fetched £340,000 at Sotheby’s.(source Irishnews.com)
Later dubbed the “fifth Beatle”, Epstein had no experience of band management and was running a record shop when he took up the Liverpool band.
Sotheby’s Books And Manuscripts specialist Gabriel Heaton described the contract as “an important piece of our cultural history” and a “transformative document”.
Epstein was determined to represent The Beatles after hearing them at The Cavern Club in Liverpool and became “hugely important” in their transformation, shaping the band.
“He was just blown away by the passion, the energy, the charisma, the raw sexuality on stage,” Mr Heaton told the Press Association.
“They had the stage energy but he instilled a sense of professionalism in them.
“He stopped them eating on stage. He made sure they played the songs properly and coherently, and he got them bowing at the end of a set. He ensured that they actually made it to gigs.”
The document gave Epstein responsibility for finding the band work, managing their schedule, publicity and “all matters concerning clothes, make-up and the presentation and construction of the artists’ acts and also on all music to be performed”.
But Epstein did not sign the contract, saying “even though I knew I would keep the contract in every clause, I had not 100% faith in myself to help The Beatles adequately … I wanted to free The Beatles of their obligations if I felt they would be better off”.
A previous manager, Allan Williams, had advised Epstein “they’ll let you down” and “don’t touch them with a f*****g bargepole”.
