John Lennon - The Imagine Jacket
Adam Partridge Auctioneers & Valuers are thrilled to announce that on Thursday 5th December 2024, they will be offering one of the most important and iconic pieces of pop culture memorabilia ever to come to market: John Lennon’s black velvet jacket, often worn and seen in the Imagine film.
The jacket was a favourite of John’s, and he wore it throughout the early 1970s. It was purchased by Tony King, a promotion man at Apple and a friend of John’s. In the early 1970s, when John was under threat of deportation from America, it was left to his friends back in Britain to fulfil his shopping requests. King bought the jacket from “Take 6,” although it didn’t quite meet John’s standards. As Harry Nilsson recalls, “The jacket was originally part of a suit. However, even though John loved the jacket and wore it a lot in New York and on the West Coast… as for the pants that go with the jacket, Winston HATED them!”
It was his friendship with Harry Nilsson that led to John gifting the jacket to Harry’s wife, Una. She had taken a real shine to it, and while they were all staying at the Pierre Hotel in 1974, John handed her the jacket, which still retained the star lapel badge—a souvenir from John’s Sgt. Pepper days.
The jacket was in turn gifted to a business colleague of Harry Nilsson in 1992, where it was displayed alongside John's famous army jacket in the Hard Rock Café.
In 2000, the jacket was offered at auction during the annual Beatles Convention to celebrate the opening of Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. The current owner purchased it at this event, and it has been on display at the Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool for over 20 years.
Adam Partridge says “This truly is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to offer an item owned and made famous by one of the most important figures of the 20th century. Having had an auction house in Liverpool for nearly 15 years, it is an honour to be selling such an iconic piece in the city that created the ‘band that changed the world,’ and there is no more fitting place than Liverpool to see the jacket come to market. During its 20 years at the Beatles Story Museum, millions of people have seen the jacket, and now one lucky individual or institution will have the chance to be the next custodian of such a significant item of history.”
The owner of the jacket will be donating proceeds to the Lennon Imagine Trust, as well as to support new musical initiatives in schools in Liverpool.
The auction will be held on Thursday 5th December, at Adam Partridge’s Liverpool Saleroom on Jordan Street, Liverpool, L1 0BP, with the jacket being offered for sale at 2pm. The jacket will remain at the Beatles Story until the auction for fans to enjoy it for as long as possible.
We would like to thank the Beatles Story Museum Liverpool for their continued support.
For further details, please contact Chris Surfleet at chris.surfleet@adampartridge.co.uk or call 01392 719826.
First image: John wearing the jacket seated at an organ. By kind permission of Robert Deutsch, who adds, “The velvet jacket worn by John was part of a suit.”
Second image: John wearing the jacket beside Tony King.
