Durham woman's rare signed Beatles album set to fetch £12,000 at auction
A Wearside woman has handed a signed copy of a Beatles album to an auction house - and it could fetch more than £12,000.
Time to pass it on
And she told how it was time for her to pass it on after the LP had almost 60 years of incredible history.
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr and George Harrison all signed the album which is being auctioned by Anderson & Garland’s at its Music Auction on Wednesday, October 23.
‘I was very shy in asking George for his signature’
A letter from the original owner of the LP said: “Their close friend and also one of mine, Paddy Delaine (once doorman of The Cavern Club in Liverpool’s Mathew St). He took me to obtain their signature in the Liverpool Hotel Adelphi.
“As I still remember I was very shy in asking George for his signature, as he was in deep conversation with someone but as he put pen to cover he completed one of my dreams at the time, which was [to obtain] The Beatles autographs.
“John and Ringo have signed above themselves, both Paul and George below. All signatures were signed in black ball point pen. This is a sworn true statement by myself. [signed by the original owner].”
The journey of an album
The autographs were purchased by music enthusiast Bob Todd in September 1989.
When Bob was diagnosed with a rare form of leukaemia in 1990, he gave the signed album to his close friend, Max Newby, who also had a strong love of music.
Sadly, Bob passed away just months later in February 1991. Now, eight years after Max’s own passing, his wife, Mrs. Annie Newby, has decided that the time is right to part with the album.
“The signed album brought both Max and Bob immense joy," Mrs. Newby recalled. "I still remember the day Bob bought it, he was so excited to show it to Max.
‘They stayed up until two in the morning, just staring at the album’
“He brought it straight to our house and they spent hours talking about The Beatles, their history, and what it must have been like at The Cavern Club in the early 1960s.
“They stayed up until two in the morning, just staring at the album and feeling where the pen had indented the album.”“
After many years on display in my home, I feel it’s time to pass this special piece of music history on to another fan who will appreciate it as much as Max and Bob did. It’s important to me that it finds a loving home.”
How you can view it
The autographs are to be sold with the written provenance from the original owner as well as a Christie’s receipt for an insurance valuation which was taken out in January 1989.
The disc itself dates correctly to 1965, being an early copy of Help! With -2 matrix’ on both sides. It also boasts a rare ‘MT’ tax code.
The record is just one of the highlights of the Anderson & Garland Music Auction on October 23.
Viewing is welcome on Tuesday, October 22 at Anderson House, Crispin Court, Newcastle NE5 1BF.