Rolling Stone magazine praised it as ‘the most important rock & roll album ever made’, and placed it at number one in its list of the top 500 greatest rock albums of all time. To date over 32 million records have been sold worldwide.
Marking this anniversary, Special Auction Services will include a 200-lot section dedicated to the band in its Film and Entertainment auction in Newbury on June 1 – the same day the album was released in 1967.
Top lot is a collection of nine autograph cartoon drawings in red crayon by John Lennon. They include a variety of profile portraits, full-length figures and depictions of strange and surreal creatures.
Made on hand-trimmed paper, the doodles are estimated at £20,000-30,000, and will be offered with Lennon’s autograph and nine science fiction books containing inscriptions and drawings believed to be by Lennon.
The sale also includes a typed letter on 'Lennon Music' headed paper from Lennon to Woman magazine, which carries an estimate of £6000-8000. It was written in 1976 in response to a piece the magazine had published by his first wife, Cynthia Lennon, about their divorce. It will be sold with a hand-written note from the musician asking for his letter to be published unedited.
More music memorabilia
Other music memorabilia sales coming up include a Pop & Film auction on May 26 at Ryedale Auctioneers in North Yorkshire, which features a large collection of memorabilia relating to Marc Bolan, the lead singer of T Rex.
Meanwhile, Bonhams Knightsbridge will offer a group of guitars and vintage amps from the private collection of the late blues guitarist and Thin Lizzy band member Gary Moore. The sale on June 28 comprises nearly 40 lots from his extensive collection of instruments and accessories, with estimates ranging from £600-6000.
