Autograph Book With Beatles and 1960s Singers Sold for £7,000

An album featuring the Rolling Stones, Beatles, and George Harrison's broken guitar string has been sold at  Richard Winterton Auctioneers for £7,000.

The signatures were obtained by Portsmouth teenager Elizabeth Salt (Liz McBrierty, as she was then) who met John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr when the group played the Savoy Ballroom in Southsea on Sunday, April 7, 1963.

“We were sat around the stage when George Harrison broke his guitar string and I picked it up,” said Elizabeth, now 79, from Lichfield. “Afterwards they went into a room and we all just piled in. That’s when I got their autographs on my left arm, I just held it out asking them to sign and they did!

They also signed her book which contains a further George Harrison signature and those of Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney again on another separate page. Other 1960s stars in the book include the Rolling Stones, a Cliff Richard signed photo and separate autograph, Adam Faith, Del Shannon, Bobby Vee, Tony Orlando, Dion, Billy Fury, Marty Wilde, Mark Wynter, Eden Kane, and Shane Fenton, better known later as Alvin Stardust. 

Rob French, ephemera valuer at Richard Winterton Auctioneers, said: “Elizabeth was in the room to witness the thrill of a live auction first-hand and it was wonderful to watch her reactions as the bids just kept on coming. She was delighted with the result. Buoyed by Elizabeth’s personal story and excellent provenance, the auction attracted a huge amount of interest culminating in an exciting sale and well-deserved hammer price, which is one of our best results for Beatles autographs.”