John Lennon’s Broken Sunglasses Sell for $183K

Sunglasses worn by the late John Lennon recently brought $183,000 at auction in London, Rolling Stone reports.

They were sold by Lennon’s former chauffeur, Alan Herring, via Sotheby’s. The identity of the buyer has not been revealed.

According to Rolling Stone, the sunglasses had been expected to sell for between $8,000 and $10,600.

The glasses were slightly damaged. According to the Sotheby’s listing, they were missing a screw on one side, resulting in a loose temple and lens. There was also minor scratching to the lenses.

According to Sotheby’s:

In 1966, John Lennon was given a pair of round glasses to prepare for his role in Richard Lester’s film How I Won the War. Quickly they became synonymous with his image and later his name.

Alan Herring states that “…In the summer of 1968 I had picked John up with Ringo and George in Ringo’s Mercedes and driven the boys into the office. When John got out of the car I noticed that he’d left these sunglasses on the back seat and 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.”

Herring recently told the BBC: “For my family’s sake, it makes sense for me to say goodbye to my collection now while I can still tell all the stories behind everything.”

Read more at Rolling Stone