On September 24th and 25th, Guernsey's Auction House will be conducting an unprecedented auction of remarkable items relating to the history of Rock & Roll. The event will be held at 82 Mercer Street in the heart of trendy Soho in Manhattan, while absentee bidders can participate on liveauctioneers.com.
Included in the treasures to be sold are hundreds of original Beatles photographs (negatives and copyrights to many) from the archive of Astrid Kirchherr, known as the one person who shaped the Beatles image. Also on the block are 600 autographs from arguably the most famous music shop in America, Manny's. From Elvis Presley's very first guitar, John Lennon's last automobile (a Mercedes station wagon), Michael Jackson's moon-walking self portrait, to a Beatles record collection that many view as the world's best, Guernsey's has something for every music enthusiast.
Booked as a back-up band in several of the Reeperbahn (Hamburg, Germany) strip's night spots, the Beatles soon met, and became infatuated with, a beautiful young German professional photographer, Astrid Kirchherr. In the case of Stuart Sutcliffe, aka the "fifth Beatle", infatuation turned to love and the couple became engaged. Astrid started photographing John, Paul, George, Stuart and Pete Best (who would soon be replaced by Ringo.) She photographed the fellows in shut-down amusement parks, on stage, in their flats and in her studio. In time, her vision for the group started taking shape as the musicians, soon to be known as the "Fab Four", followed her lead in choosing their stage outfits, cutting their hair, etc. In fact, Astrid had a great impact on the future of the Beatles... and the world loves her for it. Remarkably, in addition to hundreds of her prints, Astrid has consigned all of the negatives and copyrights to her many remarkable images resulting in what will be unquestionably an unprecedented auction.
Since the 1930's, Manny's has arguably been the most famous music shop in America. Although Manny's is no longer around, nearly 600 autographed photographs, from the most influential names in music business, that adorned the shop's walls are and will be sold in this exciting event. Starting in the 1930's with the likes of Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald through the 90's with names like The Who, Michael Jackson, Blondie, U2, Talking Heads and the Ramones.
About Guernsey's
Guernsey's Auction House, known for such extraordinary events as the John F. Kennedy, Elvis Presley, Jerry Garcia, Mickey Mantle Auctions, and Tavern on the Green Auction is conducting the Rock & Roll Auction. The Auction will take place at 82 Mercer Street, located between Spring and Broome Streets in New York City. Although all are invited to attend what undoubtedly will be an extraordinary, celebrity-attended event, there will be absentee bidding on the Internet and via telephone. Those interested in learning more about the Auction should contact Guernsey's in New York at 212-794-2280 or
www.guernseys.com.
