Fab Four Figures

Lot 572: Original autograph album belonging to Ailsa Kennedy (daughter of Ludovic Kennedy) some excellent signatures collected in person include all four Beatles, Hammersmith Odeon 6/1/1965 (with selotape stain coming through page), Richard Chamberlain, Laurence Olivier, Dame Margot Fonteyn (Ailsa's Godmother). Condition mixed, with letter of provenance.

Estimated at £800 to £1200, this autograph book achieved £3800 hammer in our auction of Paper Collectables on 6th October 2026. Almost certainly it was the set of original hand-signed Beatles signatures which pushed the price up beyond estimate. Finding a set of authentic Beatles signatures is harder than you might expect. They only toured for a few years at the height of their fame, and soon became overwhelmed by demand for autographs. It became common for fans to receive a set of mass-produced printed signatures. The printed ones out there, in addition to forgeries, means that finding originals can be a problem. It often comes down to provenance i.e. the story behind when and where they were obtained. In this case at the Hammersmith Odeon 6/1/1965 by Ailsa Kennedy, daughter of famous journalist Ludovic Kennedy. Despite the staining from old tape, this caught the attention of many collectors. With several films in production concerning the Beatles, they are very much present in public consciousness. Other significant autographs were also contained within the album.

The opposite page featured a cut out photo of Paul McCartney.

Another book from the same source featured many more including Mae West, Winston Churchill, and Charlie Chaplin:

Lot 573: Original autograph album collected by Ludovic Kennedy, to include Stanley Baldwin, various 1930's Cricketers & Boxers, Mae West, Giles Guthrie on Eton headed paper, Tommy Handley letter, Haig, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin illustrated and dated, Edward R, Hugh Walpole, Mary R 1937, Tommy Farr, etc.

This album, estimated at £400 to £600, sold for £1850. A very special feature of this was a small illustration by Charlie Chaplin to accompany his signature, depicting his famous character "the Little Tramp".