Lucy
Jun 01, 2010, 03:22 AM
Rare Beatles poster in Adelaide garage sale
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/music/rare-beatles-poster-in-adelaide-garage-sale/story-e6freeuu-1225872927229
A ONE-of-a-kind, hand-painted poster for the Adelaide leg of The Beatles' 1964 Australian tour will be auctioned in the US this week.
Found recently at a garage sale in Adelaide where it was bought "for a pittance" before being shipped to the US for sale, it is thought to be the only known concert poster from any of the four Australian cities played by The Beatles on their visit.
It is expected to fetch about $14,000 at the auction in Connecticut on Friday .
The 132cm 155cm poster shows some wear and tear and discolouration. Mounted on a heavy wood backing and weighing nearly 22kg, it is believed to have been made for the ticket booth at Centennial Hall, which was demolished in 2007.
Adelaide was not originally on The Beatles' concert itinerary until radio announcer Bob Francis collected 80,000 signatures on a petition and sent it to Melbourne promoter Kenn Brodziak.
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"We suspect this poster was most likely produced immediately after (the petition), to be put on display at Adelaide's Centennial Hall after the initial concert date of June 12 was added to the Beatles' itinerary," auctioneer Bill Panagopulus, of Alexander Autographs, said.
"Our exhaustive research indicates no other posters, printed or hand-painted, were produced for the Australian concerts.
"Had it not been for the inclusion of Adelaide to the tour, many months after the original agreement between the Melbourne promoter and Beatles manager Brian Epstein was being negotiated to bring The Beatles to Australia, this lone surviving artefact would never have been produced."
The auction catalogue reports on the estimated 200,000 fans who lined Adelaide's streets on June 12, 1964, to greet the band's arrival from Hong Kong and the public reception at the Town Hall.
About 50,000 ticket requests were received for the 12,000 available seats for the four short concerts on June 12 and 13.
"The fact that it is hand-painted suggests it is a one-off and not something that would have been plastered all over Adelaide." Mr Panagopulus said.
"The market remains strong for high-end quality items, even in a lousy economy.
"Material from The Beatles' tour of Australia is virtually unseen - there is a ready and strong market for ticket stubs, programs and autographs.
"Anything from the Australian tour would fetch a pretty penny at auction."
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/entertainment/music/rare-beatles-poster-in-adelaide-garage-sale/story-e6freeuu-1225872927229
A ONE-of-a-kind, hand-painted poster for the Adelaide leg of The Beatles' 1964 Australian tour will be auctioned in the US this week.
Found recently at a garage sale in Adelaide where it was bought "for a pittance" before being shipped to the US for sale, it is thought to be the only known concert poster from any of the four Australian cities played by The Beatles on their visit.
It is expected to fetch about $14,000 at the auction in Connecticut on Friday .
The 132cm 155cm poster shows some wear and tear and discolouration. Mounted on a heavy wood backing and weighing nearly 22kg, it is believed to have been made for the ticket booth at Centennial Hall, which was demolished in 2007.
Adelaide was not originally on The Beatles' concert itinerary until radio announcer Bob Francis collected 80,000 signatures on a petition and sent it to Melbourne promoter Kenn Brodziak.
Start of sidebar. Skip to end of sidebar.
End of sidebar. Return to start of sidebar.
"We suspect this poster was most likely produced immediately after (the petition), to be put on display at Adelaide's Centennial Hall after the initial concert date of June 12 was added to the Beatles' itinerary," auctioneer Bill Panagopulus, of Alexander Autographs, said.
"Our exhaustive research indicates no other posters, printed or hand-painted, were produced for the Australian concerts.
"Had it not been for the inclusion of Adelaide to the tour, many months after the original agreement between the Melbourne promoter and Beatles manager Brian Epstein was being negotiated to bring The Beatles to Australia, this lone surviving artefact would never have been produced."
The auction catalogue reports on the estimated 200,000 fans who lined Adelaide's streets on June 12, 1964, to greet the band's arrival from Hong Kong and the public reception at the Town Hall.
About 50,000 ticket requests were received for the 12,000 available seats for the four short concerts on June 12 and 13.
"The fact that it is hand-painted suggests it is a one-off and not something that would have been plastered all over Adelaide." Mr Panagopulus said.
"The market remains strong for high-end quality items, even in a lousy economy.
"Material from The Beatles' tour of Australia is virtually unseen - there is a ready and strong market for ticket stubs, programs and autographs.
"Anything from the Australian tour would fetch a pretty penny at auction."