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The Beatles signed the 4-foot-by-2-foot section of a backdrop wall from the New York theater where The Ed Sullivan Show took place.The piece could realized $800,000 to $1 million when it's auctioned April 26. Heritage Auctions image.

Beatles artifact from Ed Sullivan Show to be sold at auction

Tom Hoepf
Tom Hoepf

The Beatles signed the 4-foot-by-2-foot section of a backdrop wall from the New York theater where The Ed Sullivan Show took place.The piece could realized $800,000 to $1 million when it's auctioned April 26. Heritage Auctions image.
The Beatles signed the 4-foot-by-2-foot section of a backdrop wall from the New York theater where The Ed Sullivan Show took place.The piece could realized $800,000 to $1 million when it’s auctioned April 26. Heritage Auctions image.
NEW YORK – A piece of the backdrop from The Ed Sullivan Show, signed by the Beatles when they played the program on Feb. 9, 1964 – the beginning of Beatlemania and the British Invasion – adorned with individual drawings from each member of the band and a note from John Lennon reading, “The ‘Beatles’ were here 2/9/64,” may bring more than $800,000 when it crosses the block at Heritage Auctions on April 26.

“There is no more important band in rock ’n’ roll than the Beatles and there was no moment more important in solidifying their worldwide popularity than the moment they played Ed Sullivan on Feb. 9, 1964,” said Garry Shrum, consignment director of music memorabilia at Heritage Auctions. “Now, almost 50 years to the day since it was signed, this piece has emerged from private hands and is looking to take its rightful place as the single-most important piece of Beatles memorabilia in existence.”

The piece, measures more than 48-inches long and 16-inches across, features large, clear and clean signatures of each member of the band signed on that eventful night in early 1964, comes out of the collection of voice-over artist Andy Geller, one of the most recognizable voices in all of television.

This band signed the piece vertically, with Ringo Starr signing on top, George Harrison signing below him, with Paul McCartney (signed as “Uncle Paul McCartney”) and John Lennon on the bottom. The large autographs are accompanied by drawings by each member of the band and “The Beatles were here” written above John Lennon’s signature.

“Holy Grail is a term bandied about in memorabilia circles far too much,” said Shrum, “but in this case, it’s hard to argue with the designation. This thing really is the Holy Grail of Beatles memorabilia. It’s simply the best Beatles-signed piece there is.”

The Heritage Auctions Entertainment & Music Auction will take place on Saturday, April 26, at the Fletcher-Sinclair Mansion, 2 E. 79th St. (at Fifth Avenue).

ADDITIONAL IMAGE OF NOTE

The Beatles signed the 4-foot-by-2-foot section of a backdrop wall from the New York theater where The Ed Sullivan Show took place.The piece could realized $800,000 to $1 million when it's auctioned April 26. Heritage Auctions image.
The Beatles signed the 4-foot-by-2-foot section of a backdrop wall from the New York theater where The Ed Sullivan Show took place.The piece could realized $800,000 to $1 million when it’s auctioned April 26. Heritage Auctions image.