Photographs of The Beatles and complete autograph sets to be sold by Lichfield auctioneer

Two complete sets of autographs by The Beatles are being sold by a Lichfield auctioneer.

The sale at Richard Winterton Auctioneers on 6th June will also feature never-before-seen snapshots of Paul McCartney and George Harrison from a 1963 gig.

The two autograph books were signed for teenage fans outside shows in the Midlands.

One of the sets was obtained at a concert in Nottingham but was only discovered following the death of Patricia Kyle recently.

Her daughter Bridget Gray said:

“It’s been a bit of a hidden treasure – we knew she had met The Beatles but we didn’t realise my mum still had the book because they had moved house a number of times.”

Bridget Gray

Eight months after the Nottingham gig, The Beatles played The Coventry Theatre – and 14-year-old Gwen Banks was waiting to get the autographs outside the stage door.

Gwen, whose married name is Payne, said:

“We couldn’t usually afford to see the show – it was just something to do on Sundays when you were old enough to catch the bus with your mates.

“That day I was actually hoping to see Helen Shapiro perform. She was only two years older than us so she was an icon to us. We were waiting outside the theatre when a coach pulled up to bring the stars in. George Harrison was in a car.

“Seeing The Beatles in person was brilliant. They were all standing around and talking. They were quite agreeable and very happy to talk to us.”

Gwen Payne

Gwen had also taken her brother Graham’s camera and managed to capture black and white photographs of Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

“It was one of those cheap plastic cameras. I pinched it for the afternoon and I was trying not to use up all the film.”

Gwen Payne

Auctioneer Richard Winterton said he expected the lots to attract global attention.

“Sixty years on from their early days which snowballed into Beatlemania, the Fab Four retain a legendary status across the world with an unsurpassed legacy.

“It’s fab to have a one complete set of Beatle signatures with such impeccable provenance – to have two come to light within hours of each other is remarkable.

“Those autographs, happily signed to put smiles on the faces of teenage fans, have taken on huge significance. As a lifelong Beatles fan, to talk to someone who met all four Beatles right at the very start of their gigantic journey is fascinating.

“And in the case of one of the collections here, there are even photos taken on the day of signing, giving us a never-before-seen snapshots of Paul and George right on the cusp of the explosion of Beatlemania.”

Richard Winterton

The catalogue will be online a week before the 6th June sale at www.richardwinterton.co.uk/auction-dates.