All eyes on John Lennon glasses

A pair of John Lennon’s iconic round glasses will go under the hammer at Catherine Southon Auctions’ Antiques and Jewellery Sale on July 31, with an estimate of £2,000-3,000.

The glasses were given to the vendor by Lennon during a visit to Abbey Road studios in July 1968. A letter of provenance accompanying the glasses in the sale describes the vendor’s birthday trip to the legendary studios with his girlfriend Penny Clarke who knew members of The Beatles, where he met Lennon and music producer George Martin. It reads: “I picked up a pair of glasses from a piano, Penny said put them down don’t touch! John Lennon turned around and said “He’s alright in fact he can have them, Happy Birthday!”. The glasses are not John Lennon’s prescription glasses, but he gave them to me and wished me happy birthday so that is good enough for me.”

The glasses are made from rolled gold wire frames with round blue-tinted lenses. They are non-prescription and the arm is stamped 1/20 Oct.

The condition is described as commensurate with age but overall in good condition.