Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.LIZ SEARL
An anonymous telephone bidder set a world auction price record yesterday, paying pounds 161,000 for Paul McCartney's handwritten lyrics to the Beatles' "Getting Better".
The bid more than tripled Sotheby's previous record, and stunned other bidders, who had counted on the auctioneer's catalogue estimate of pounds 48,000.
Three years ago, John Lennon's lyrics for "A Day In The Life" set Sotheby's previous record of pounds 48,400.
McCartney's words were scribbled on a piece of headed notepaper for the "Million Volt Light and Sound Rave" in 1967, and they were eventually recorded for the group's Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album.
Despite the enthusiasm for McCartney memorabilia, Sotheby's main attraction, a collection of Lennon's schoolboy sketches, failed to reach its reserve price, and bidding was stopped at pounds 34,000.
The book, which was estimated to fetch pounds 120,000, contains 21 cartoons of Lennon's teachers and fellow pupils at Quarry Bank High School. Its owner, Helen Anderson, was persuaded by Lennon to part with her hand-knitted yellow sweater for the sketchbook when she was an art student in Liverpool.
In the book, the 15-year-old Lennon described himself as "Simply a Simple Pimple Shortsighted John Wimple Lennon". It was thought that fans would regard the item of Beatles memorabilia as precious.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments