John Lennon an English singer, songwriter and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as the founder, co-lead vocalist, and rhythm guitarist of the Beatles trademark round sunglasses are going up for auction along with a parking ticket given to the band’s drummer Ringo Starr. All the items were kept for half a century by a former driver of the the band.
The chauffeur for Starr and band mate George Harrison in the late 60s, Alan Herring said that Lennon gave him the glasses after leaving them on the back seat of his Mercedes.
“When John got out of the car I noticed that he’d left these sunglasses on the back seat and one lens and one arm had become disconnected,” he said.
“I asked John if he’d like me to get them fixed for him. He told me not to worry, that they were just for the look.”
The round glasses along with the parking ticket issued on April 25, 1969 in London outside the band’s own label Apple Records, will be sold online by Sotheby’s with other Beatles memorabilia next month.
Herring said that his decision of selling the objects was an emotional one, but
“The memories I have of this very special time in my life working with the Beatles are far more important to me”.
The parking ticket is expected to be sold at £1,500 ($1,900, 1,700 euro), while the sunglasses which Herring never did get mended could sell for £8,000.
Other items including cigarette lighter, shirts worn by the Fab Four and Harrison’s guitar with a predicted price of £60,000 will be auctioned between December 6 to 13.