A ‘floppy cowboy hat’ as worn by John Lennon during the Beatles‘ tour of the United States in 1965 is set to go under the hammer at auction – and is expected to fetch up to £8,000 (AUD11,887).
The Guardian reports that Lennon gave the hat as a gift to his uncle Charlie Lennon, who was apparently a big fan of westerns. Charlie later handed them on to one Larry Warren, resident of Liverpool, who has now brought them to auction.
Warren said, “I knew Charlie Lennon well and I bought these items from him. He didn’t want to take any money for them but I insisted.
“I have helped conserve other items concerned with the Beatles, including parts of the church hall where Lennon first met Paul McCartney.
“The cowboy hat was something that Lennon had on the US tour in 1965 – I think they all had one. He gave it to his uncle in about 1967 along with a toy six-shooter gun, because his uncle loved western films. But the hat was too big for his uncle and that amused Lennon.”
Other items up for sale include a pair of sunglasses worn by the deceased Beatle in 1967, which may attract in excess of £4,000 (AUD5943).
