Fab Four autographs and pictures come to auction in Lichfield

The autograph books – which came to light just hours apart during the same valuation – have the rare distinction of bearing all four signatures of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

One of the collections for sale with Richard Winterton Auctioneers includes two never-before-seen snapshots of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, photographed at the stage door in Coventry by one fan during her Beatles encounter and treasured alongside the signatures obtained that day.

The autographs go under the hammer at The Lichfield Auction Centre, Wood End Lane, Fradley Park, on June 6 and each collection is estimated to fetch £3,000 to £4,000.

Both sets were signed for teenage fans outside local shows during 1963, a year in which The Beatles rarely had a day off with a gruelling schedule including recording sessions, concerts, TV, radio and other appearances.

One of the signed books follows the Beatles’ first concert in Nottingham on March 7, 1963 at the Elizabethan Ballroom above the Co-op on Upper Parliament Street.

Nottingham Co-op’s chief security manager John Florio, wife Fay and their 13-year-old daughter Patricia were at the concert, met The Beatles and obtained their signatures across two pages of Patricia’s autograph book.

Paul, George and Ringo wrote in pencil, with John inscribing in blue ink ‘To Pat love from John Lennon xxx’.

The autographs only came to light again recently following Patricia’s death aged 73.

“It’s been a bit of a hidden treasure – we knew they had met The Beatles but we didn’t realise my mum still had the book because they had moved house a number of times,” said daughter Bridget Gray, 48. “My grandad got to meet a lot of celebrities in his job and the autograph book is a wonderful piece of memorabilia.”

A second book was the result of a gig on November 17 1963 when The Beatles played The Coventry Theatre.

Fourteen-year-old Gwen Danks and her friends would frequent the stage doors on Sunday afternoons to get autographs.

“We couldn't usually afford to see the show – it was just something to do on Sundays when you were old enough to catch the bus with your mates,” said Gwen, now 74, whose married name is Payne. “That day I was actually hoping to see Helen Shapiro perform. She was only two years older than us so she was an icon to us."

“We were waiting outside the theatre when a coach pulled up to bring the stars in. George Harrison was in a car.

“Seeing The Beatles in person was brilliant. They were all standing around and talking. They were quite agreeable and very happy to talk to us.”

Gwen used her brother Graham’s camera and managed to take black and white photographs of Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

“It was one of those cheap plastic cameras,” she remembered. “I pinched it for the afternoon and I was trying not to use up all the film!”

Gwen also obtained the autographs of all four Beatles, later sticking in her ticket stub for the concert on the page next to Ringo Starr’s signature.

The Beatles’ signatures feature in a Woburn Abbey autograph book, which also includes the 13th Duke of Bedford and his wife who signed when the album was purchased.

Other pages are packed with signatures of more stars who visited The Coventry Theatre including The Springfields – featuring the legendary Dusty – plus Helen Shapiro, The Kinks, Cliff Richard, Cilla Black, Kenny Lynch, Joe Brown, Brenda Lee and Del Shannon.

“Sixty years on from their early days which snowballed into Beatlemania, the Fab Four retain a legendary status across the world with an unsurpassed legacy,” said auctioneer Richard Winterton.

“The global fascination with The Beatles is underlined by continuing new projects, such as Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series Get Back, and cemented by Paul McCartney’s historic performance at last year’s Glastonbury with more than 100,000 people watching 80-year-old Paul become the festival’s oldest headliner.

“It’s fab to have a one complete set of Beatle signatures with such impeccable provenance; to have two come to light within hours of each other is remarkable.

“Those autographs, happily signed to put smiles on the faces of teenage fans, have taken on huge significance.

“As a lifelong Beatles fan, to talk to someone who met all four Beatles right at the very start of their gigantic journey is fascinating.

“And in the case of one of the collections here, there are even photos taken on the day of signing, giving us a never-before-seen snapshots of Paul and George right on the cusp of the explosion of Beatlemania.”

The autographs feature in Day Two of Richard Winterton Auctioneers’ Antiques & Home Sale at The Lichfield Auction Centre on Tuesday, June 6, starting at 9.30am.

The catalogue will be online a week before the sale via www.richardwinterton.co.uk/auction-dates and viewing in person takes place on Friday, June 2, from 10am-4pm.