Personal Items
About This Project
GRUNDIG TAPE RECORDER
A Grundig TK 140 four-track reel-to-reel machine (without leads) from John Lennon’s attic recording studio at Kenwood. Apple electronics wizard ‘Mad’ Alex Madras may have set up this studio as he was largely the person who installed recording equipment for the Beatles.
GRUNDIG TAPE RECORDER
A Grundig TK 20 portable reel-to-reel machine with two separate mics and with leads. It came with an accompanying letter, now missing, from former Beatles booking manager, Joe Flannery, confirming that this recorder was used by the Quarrymen and the Beatles during the period 1959-1961 to record their practice sessions around Liverpool, including at Paul McCartney’s home and at the Cavern Club.
<I>A BOX OF SMILE</I>
A polished stainless-steel box, A Box of Smile, opens to reveal an interior mirror. Inscribed on one side A BOX OF SMILE Y.O. ’71 TO JULIAN FROM DADDY & YOKO. First produced in 1967 by Yoko Ono this version was from a series of about 150 produced in 1971, some like this one had personalised dedications.
POCKET WATCH AND STAND
A 1960s pocket watch with black face and luminous hands and numerals, 15 jewel Swiss movement. With ornate metal stand. Both purchased by Lillian Powell, Cynthia’s mother, for John who encouraged Lillian to buy antiques for Kenwood. He kept this clock on his bedside table.
JAI GURU DEV BRACELETS
Two Jai Guru Dev brass bangles worn by John Lennon in 1968, during and after his visit to India to study with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi at his International Academy of Meditation in Rishikesh, India.
LEATHER ANKH
A brown leather ankh pendant on a brown leather thong worn by John Lennon in the late 1960s. The ankh or key of life is an ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic representing life.
APPLE CAR MASCOT
A chrome-plated apple car mascot fitted to the bonnet of John Lennon’s Austin Maxi. In July 1969 John, Yoko, Yoko’s daughter and Julian drove to Scotland to visit Aunt Mater. John crashed the car and everyone except Julian needed hospital treatment. Julian's lucky escape gives the apple special meaning,“Firstly, because Dad was not the best driver because he couldn’t see very well and secondly because I was the only one not injured.”
JOHN LENNON COLLECTION OF 78RPM RECORDS
A collection of twelve 78rpm records from John Lennon’s personal collection from around 1957/8. They include Elvis Presley, Lonnie Donegan, Little Richard, The Goons and Buddy Holly. The records are stored in a brown leather briefcase.
NEWSPAPER CUTTING
Contained with the records inside the briefcase is a newspaper cutting from the Empire News and Sunday Chronicle, July 13 1958, about a Brigitte Bardot competition.
WALKING CANE
A marine ivory and bone walking cane, consisting of an antique bone cane 35 inches long with a later handle, thought to be walrus ivory in the form of a bespoke carved walrus head, approximately 2 ¾ inches long. Julian was given this walking stick by Yoko Ono.
KENWOOD WOODEN GARDEN DOOR
A wooden garden door from Kenwood, with metal hinges and door handle. It is 68 ½ inches high and 61 inches wide and carved with fan graffiti. There was a steady stream of fans visiting Kenwood, and John would often go out to see them to pose for pictures or give autographs.
CHILD’S MOUTH ORGAN
A child’s mouth organ marked with manufacture’s name Hohner, 1 ½ inches long, attached to green thread, used by Julian as a child.
LETTER FROM MRS SYLVIA HANCOCK
Letter dated August 14 2010, from Sylvia Hancock confirming the provenance of the mouth organ and that John Lennon had given the mouth organ to her husband, John, with instructions to take it away as it “drove him potty with Julian playing it all the time.”
WHITE T-SHIRT
A white cotton mix t-shirt with a black printed portrait of John Lennon on the front. By all accounts David Bowie, John and Julian met up in Hong Kong in June 1977 and while walking through a market Julian pointed out the t-shirt and Bowie challenged Lennon to buy it!
EMAIL FROM JULIA BAIRD
Copy of an email dated November 9 2010 from John Lennon’s half-sister Julia Baird detailing how the white t-shirt came into her hands and it’s backstory. Rosa, John and Yoko’s housekeeper in New York, was given the t-shirt by Yoko and Julia acquired it from a friend of Rosa’s when visiting Spain.
PRINT OF MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
A framed print depicting musical instruments once displayed in the sitting room at Kenwood. It is an early 20th century chromolithograph in a decorative mount.
PRINT OF A BOTANICAL PLANT
A framed print in a decorative mount. depicting a colour reproduction of a botanical print, after Basilus Besler, once displayed in the sitting room at Kenwood.
BOOK, <I>LENNON REMEMBERS THE FAMOUS ROLLING STONE INTERVIEWS</I> BY JANN WENNER
A copy by Jann Wenner, of Lennon Remembers The Famous Rolling Stone Interviews, 1971. Co-founder/editor of Rolling Stone magazine Wenner conducted a lengthy interview with John and Yoko which was serialised in the issues 21 January and 4 February 1971. They sold out immediately. When Wenner asked Lennon about publishing the interview in book form John said no but Wenner nevertheless pursued a book deal for which he got $40,000. John was furious and never spoke to him again.
BOOK, <I>THE PENGUIN JOHN LENNON</I> BY JOHN LENNON
A copy of The Penguin John Lennon, 1966. Penguin brought together John’s two published books, A Spaniard in the Works and In His Own Write and issued them as The Penguin John Lennon. Penguin’s art director Alan Aldridge designed the cover who later went on, after setting up INK his own company, to work closely with the Beatles and Apple Corps. A celebrated artist, Aldridge with his characteristic flowing cartoony look helped define the psychedelic style of the era.
/*
*/