Beatles song manuscripts a rare Australian auction find for music memorabilia gurus

Ten hand written song manuscripts from a framed display entitled ‘John Lennon – The Beatle Years’ (lot 3417) is the highlight of a significant collection of Beatles memorabilia up for grabs through Melbourne-based Abacus Auctions as part of its four-day stamps, postal history, coins, banknotes and collectables sale from 10am Tuesday September 8 to Friday September 11 at 29 Hardner Road Mount Waverley.

Published by his second wife multimedia artist Yoko Ono in 1995 under Bag One Arts, the manuscripts in Lennon’s own handwriting feature such famous hits as Day Tripper, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, Nowhere Man and Dear Prudence and carry a catalogue estimate of $20,000.

The extensive and wide-ranging collection – listed from lots 3398 to 3484 – includes magazines, books, ceramic toys, figurines, dolls, advertising signs, records, DVDs, games and guitars in honour of perhaps the greatest pop group of all time and was amassed over more than 60 years from when he was teenager by a retired doctor living in New South Wales Blue Mountains.

The manuscripts carry even greater significance given that Lennon, whose song writing partnership with Paul McCartney remains the most successful in history, was assassinated by obsessed fan Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980 aged 40 outside his Manhattan apartment building.

Lennon was a strong advocate for peace during the Vietnam War, writing several top 10 anti-war hits once he left the Beatles in 1969 and established Plastic Ono Band with Yoko as part of his solo career.

Two of the more important items in the auction reflecting this move are two LP albums – one his debut solo effort entitled John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (lot 3477) with faded signatures on the front reading “Love from John Lennon” and “Love Yoko Ono Lennon” and the other “Imagine” (lot 3478), the title of one of his biggest hits, signed “With love from John Lennon, Yoko Ono Lennon” and a hand-drawn caricature of himself and Yoko on the back – for which he was renowned.

Abacus Auctions Max Williamson another worthwhile item was John Lennon’s framed song manuscript ‘Happy Christmas (War is Over)’ (lot 3479) written in 1972 and published by Yoko Ono in 1995 as part of a limited edition.

“Some of the lots contain up to 50 items along with cups, mugs, ceramic figures and 60 sets of figurines,” he said.

Typical of the figurines collection is a rendition of the famous Abbey Road album front cover (lot 3447) showing all four Beatles on a pedestrian crossing with Paul McCartney out of step with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Another is taken from the cover of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (lot 3446) and a third depicts The Beatles in grey suits for their debut appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show (lot 3448) during their historic February 1964 American tour, marking their breakthrough to international stardom.