8008 - Beatles Signatures Obtained at London Airport Before Their Final North American Tour (1966)

Beatles Signatures Obtained at London Airport Before Their Final North American Tour (1966) Vintage ballpoint signatures of the Beatles — "John Lennon," "Ringo Starr," "George Harrison," and "Paul” — penned on an off-white 5.75 x 7 sheet. In very good to fine condition, with intersecting folds, wrinkling, and a handful of tiny holes, two of which touch the Starr signature. Accompanied by a certificate of authenticity from Tracks and a letter of provenance from the sister of the original recipient, which reads: “My brother, Rudolph Hudson, was a serving police officer at London Airport on 11th August 1966, when The Beatles were there to travel to America for their final tour. On the group’s arrival at the airport there was a 50 minute delay to the flight leaving. The Beatles had to be moved from the lounge to the police station due to the volume of Beatles fans surrounding them. My brother showed them around the police station gymnasium, chatted with them and asked for the autographs for me.” Also includes two photographs taken on the day: one of the Beatles in the police station and the other of the group prior to boarding the aircraft. On August 11, 1966, the Beatles left London Airport for the United States amid intense publicity surrounding John Lennon’s remark, published in an interview with journalist Maureen Cleave that March, that the group was ‘more popular than Jesus.’ The comment had recently been republished in the United States and sparked protests, radio station bans, and public burnings of Beatles records in parts of the country. Traveling via Boston, the group arrived in Chicago that afternoon, where Lennon addressed the controversy at a press conference at the Astor Tower Hotel. Their final North American tour opened with two performances at Chicago’s International Amphitheatre on August 12th and concluded at San Francisco’s Candlestick Park on August 29th, the Beatles’ last paid concert.