Beatles Historical Documents

Beatles Historical Documents: This section was initiated by the early Beatles documents that are included in the wonderful book about John Called “Lennon Legend: An Illustrated Life of John Lennon.” In the book there are removable replicas of some great Beatles Artifacts like a Quarrymen business card, a Cavern Membership card and the program from the Village Fete where John and Paul met each other.

While researching further I came across a copy of the Beatles original set list from their first US Concert in Washington DC (courtesy of friend Mark Naboshek), George’s contract from Saturday Night Live (showing him receiving the unremarkable amount of $371.75), a few checks written by the Beatles from Apple Corp including one from Ringo to Klaus Voormann, a document for the Beatles song Helter Skelter signed by John and Neil Aspinall and some other very interesting Beatles Historical Documents.

You’ll also find a number of posters from early Beatles concerts and their movies mixed in this group.

Many of these types of items can be found and purchased through auction houses like Heritage Auctions.
http://www.ha.com

We’ll start this section with John’s report cards from the Quarrybank Grammar School in 1955 and 1956

Now we’ve got perhaps the single most historical document in Beatles history, the program from the Village Fete (Garden Party) where Ivan Vaughan introduced Paul McCartney to John Lennon. Ivan’s wife Jan would later help Paul with the French parts in his song “Michelle” and he would send her a check for her help.

Next up is contract for a booking at the Grosvenor Ballroom in Wallasey on June 6th 1960 where both the Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers played. Notice the contract is with Allan Williams.

The next item’s you’ll see are a Cavern Club Membership card and a Quarrymen business card.

Now here is one of my favorite pieces…this is a John’s 1950 Cartoon Comic Book called the Daily Howl. It gives you a little taste of John’s sense of humor and his ability to use “jabberwocky” or nonsensical words to get his point across. An ability that would come in very handy in his songwriting.

This next group contains three Beatles related historical documents. First is a concert ticket to the Rory Storm Birthday Bash with the Beatles playing live. This one is interesting because it came just one month, 9/31/62, after Ringo left the Hurricane to join the Beatles. Plus a Rory Storm and the Hurricane business card and a Star Club bill for Tony Sheridan.

Now, we’ve got a series of checks written and signed by John, George and Ringo from the early 70’s, so they must be Apple Corp. checks.

Ok…here it comes…one of the most historical Beatles US documents found anywhere. This is a picture of the actual set list used by the Beatles for their first US concert on 2/11/64 from Washington DC. This was written by John Lennon on the Shoreham Hotel Stationary...the hotel the Beatles stayed at in DC.
This picture comes courtesy of famed Beatles collector Mark Naboshek, who is the owner of this document.(Note: 4-19-09 "Thanks Mark for the updated pic"-Woody)

Next up is a group of 9 posters from the Beatles concerts, including their famous Shea Stadium concert in 1965. The first one in this group has an interesting tale. It was during this tour that the Beatles spent their one day off - February 11th 1963 - in Abbey Road Studios recording ten songs in ten hours to finish their first UK album Please Please Me.
Go to our In the Studio- Early Beatles Recordings page for the complete story of that day.

Now, a couple of Full Sets of Beatles autographs.

Here’s one that always gives me a laugh, but first a little background. During the Hey Day of Saturday Night Live there was a running joke which had Producer Lorne Michaels offering the Beatles staggering amount of $5000 if they would reunite on the show. Then George comes on the show and you see him and Lorne Michael having an argument over his pay…George wants the $5000 and Lorne is saying “But that was for all four of the Beatles not just one” and George says and what’s this lousy $371.75. It was the standard actor’s fee for an appearance on the show. Well, here is that contract

Next up is a contract for the Beatles song “Helter Skelter” with John and Neil Aspinall’s signatures on it.

I’m sure most of you have seen the Beatles original movie posters but in case you haven’t, here they are.

Here is the Capitol records promotional poster for the ill-fated first Yesterday  and Today album. What was incredible was the firestorm of negative publicity that followed its release and created one the best Beatles collectables ever, now know as the Butcher Cover. I’ve followed that poster with my own very unique Butcher Cover.

And last, but certainly not least, is Paul’s hand-drawn sketch of his idea for the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover

Beatles Art & Beatles Artists

• John Lennon Artwork
• Paul McCartney Artwork
• Ringo Starr Artwork
• Cynthia Lennon's Cartoons
• Klaus Voormann's Art
• Al Hirschfeld
• Shannon
• Eric Cash

Beatles Artifacts

• Ringo Starr's Postcards
• Beatles Song Lyrics- Handwritten Pics
• Beatles Personal Letters and Postcards
• Beatles Historical Documents
• Beatles Concert Tickets