Upcoming auction features John Lennon's risqué love letter to his initial spouse.
In a heartfelt letter penned during the Beatles' initial residency in Hamburg, Germany, John Lennon unveiled a more unfiltered side - chock-full of earthy poetry and playful jabs at Paul McCartney. This four-page missive, currently up for auction at Christie's in London on July 9, could fetch up to £40,000 ($54,000).
Fueled by longing for his future wife, Cynthia Powell, Lennon, then 21, wrote words that extend far beyond the pop melodies that made the Beatles iconic. "I love love love you and I'm missing you like mad ... I wish I was on the way to your flat with the Sunday papers and chocs (chocolates) and a throbber! Oh yes!" he penned, with an unmistakable eagerness that transcends time.
The letter also bears love's battle scars, as Lennon took aim at McCartney's snoring: "Paul's leaping about on my head (he's in a bunk on top of me and he's snoring) ... Shurrup Mcarntey (sic)." Thomas Venning, Christie's head of books and manuscripts, muses, "there's something quite poignant about the giddy, playfully smutty nature of the letter." It captures an enchanting image of Lennon and Cynthia, two young lovers basking in the simplicity of life as John pursued his passion for music with the Beatles and cherished moments with his loved one.
Written over a six-day period between April 19 and April 24, 1962, the letter reveals a beat from a different drum, far removed from the Beatles' future superstardom. As the band toiled away at the Star-Club, playing to indifferent crowds, Lennon wrote with exhaustion, but also with a mixed sentiment of contentment and anticipation. "God I'm knackered it's 6 o'clock in the morning and I want you," he wrote.
Fapping around in the same Hamburg air was the specter of loss, as just nine days before he started writing, former band member Stuart Sutcliffe tragically passed away from a brain hemorrhage at age 21. Lennon admitted his trepidation about visiting Sutcliffe's fiancee, Astrid Kirchherr, and voiced his concerns about living in close quarters with Paul's girlfriend, Dot Rhone.
A tender glance at Lennon's life and the Beatles' early days, this love letter strums a distinct melody that resonates even today. It serves as a historical artifact, bridging the divide between the privacy of Lennon's personal life and his budding public persona within the Beatles, showcasing the band's formative years during their essential Hamburg residency.
The letter, penned by John Lennon during the Beatles' stay in Hamburg, Germany, offers an insight into his private life, serving as both a testament to his love for Cynthia Powell and a depiction of his passion for entertainment. Amidst the earthy poetry and playful jabs at Paul McCartney, Lennon expresses his fervor for books and chocolates, injecting a certain level of humorous celebrities' charm into his correspondence.
