13th May 2005 07:01
Stanley Gibbons Group Limited13 May 2005 PRESS RELEASE Stanley Gibbons Limited399 Strand, London WC2R 0LXTel: 020 7836 8444 Fax: 020 7836 7342Established 1856 STANLEY GIBBONS ACQUIRES JOHN LENNON'S STAMP ALBUM In an acquisition that neatly covers its two main activities, Stanley Gibbons,the World's best known name in stamp collecting and Europe's leading autographdealer, has acquired John Lennon's stamp album. This superb item is of greatinterest to Beatles historians, collectors and fans alike. Lennon's hardcover 'Mercury Stamp Album' dates from about 1950, when he was 10years old. It is inscribed on the flyleaf with his name and address 'JohnLennon, 251 Menlove Avenue, Woolton, Liverpool' and signed again 'John Lennon'in blue ballpoint pen further down the page. Intriguingly in the top left hand corner are three practice signatures in pencil- his Christian name written once and his surname twice, as Lennon appears to beworking on the formation of what would become an iconic signature. The flyleafis also annotated by him with the number of stamps in the album, whichfluctuated from 500 to 800. Extra interest to Beatles' historians is given by the additional inscription onthe flyleaf by Stanley Parkes, Lennon's older cousin, of his name and address inFleetwood. Stanley was seven years older than Lennon and acted as chaperone inhis formative years. A reproduction black and white photograph of the youngLennon, aged 7, is also included with the item. The album is on show at Fraser's Autograph Gallery at 399 Strand, London WC2R0LX and can also be viewed at www.frasersautographs.com along with many otherfascinating items. 2005 would have seen Lennon's 65th birthday and a number of celebrations areplanned by fans worldwide to commemorate the event.Freddie Mercury of Queen was also a keen stamp collector. His first stamp albumwas purchased by the National Postal Museum after his death and exhibited bothat the Museum and at exhibitions worldwide where it was seen by thousands ofadoring fans. For further information and illustrations of the album and signatures contact:Richard Purkis - DirectorTel: 020 7836 8444Fax: 020 7836 7342Email: [email protected]: www.stanleygibbons.com and www.frasersautographs.com Fraser's Autographs is a trading division of Stanley Gibbons. It is Europe'sleading autograph and memorabilia dealer with over 60,000 signatures in stock. - Ends - This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock ExchangeRelated Shares:
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