$25,000
A pair of John Lennon’s gold tone Algha spectacles, often referred to as Lennon’s “Granny” glasses. The spectacles were given to the consignor, a fashion designer, while at the Ad Lib club in the mid-1960s. Ad Lib was an exclusive London nightclub that catered to the rock crowd. Lennon gave the designer his glasses to help her read the menu. Only moments earlier he was allegedly dancing in a conga line. When she tried to return them he told her he had another pair and she should keep them. She later replaced the lenses with her own prescription. The Algha glasses are the Panto center joint model. One temple is marked “Algha 20,” the other “Made in England.” Lennon began wearing this style of spectacle after being cast in How I Won The War (UA, 1967). His character, Gripweed, a British soldier in World War II, would have been given such glasses free of charge from the government. It has been reported that Lennon did not find glasses to fit his stage persona, so he had not previously worn them in public, although he needed them. Accompanied by a letter from the consignor explaining the circumstances around meeting Lennon and being given the glasses, two publications with images of Lennon wearing similar spectacles, the consignor’s membership card to the Ad Lib Club, and other Ad Lib ephemera. Categories: John Lennon
Auctioneer:
Juliens Auctions
Date:
2014-11-07
