John Lennon's iconic original round glasses sold for £1,37,500

A pair of John Lennon’s most iconic round glasses was auctioned for a whopping $200,000 in Sotheby’s, London on December 13. The bidding for the sunglasses started at 7:30pm on December 6 along with other items of The Beatles drummer Ringo Starr.

Starr's chauffeur owned it

The auctioned properties were owned by Alan Herring, the chauffeur for Ringo Starr and bandmate George Harrison. Herring, in his declaration, claimed that he got the glasses from Lennon in 1968 when he was driving Starr along with other members of the band including the legendary singer. Herring said that he found the sunglasses left behind in Starr’s Mercedes and noticed that one lens and one arm had become disconnected. 

“I asked John if he’d like me to get them fixed for him. He told me not to worry they were just for the look! He said he’d send out for some that fit. I never did get them mended I just kept them as they were as John had left them,” he said.

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It is a gold-tone wire-framed sunglasses by Oliver Goldsmith with round green-tinted lenses, and "Oliver Goldsmith" engraved on each inner temple. The pair of sunglasses lack screw on one side resulting in the loose temple, with minor scratching to lenses. In 1966, Lennon was given a pair of round glasses to prepare for his role in a film which soon became synonymous with his image.

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Along with those sunglasses, several properties of Herring which belonged to Starr included a parking ticket issued by the Metropolitan Policy on Savile Row on April 25, 1969.

"I acquired the... collection of motoring related material when I was working as a chauffeur and personal assistant to George Harrison and Ringo Starr," said Herring. 

The collection of items relating to motoring include AA membership card for Starr, a certificate of motor insurance, Apple Corp. Ltd. Lex Group Garage credit card, 'Mini-Ray' red remote control for George Harrison's garage door and a cowhide-backed wooden car valet brush, zipper compartment with a screwdriver, cloth and pipette, given to Herring by George Harrison. 

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