Broken Pair Of John Lennon’s Sunglasses Sold For $184,000

Alan Herring, a former chauffeur for the Beatles, has just sold a pair of John Lennon’s broken spectacles for a whopping $184,000. Herring had picked the item up from the back of Ringo Starr’s car, which he used to service the band around town that day. It was already broken, seeing as a lens was out of the frame and one of the legs being disconnected.

“I had picked John up with Ringo and George in Ringo’s Mercedes, and driven the boys into the office,” Herring had written in a statement. “When John got out of his 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.”

In the letter of proof he wrote, Herring explained that he started as a landscape contractor from the band before being taken in as a chauffeur and personal assistant for George Harrison. As Harrison left for India, Starr hired him instead. “From March 1968 until the end of November 1969, I was employed as Ringo’s chauffeur and then promoted to the role of Ringo’s personal assistant. Whilst working for George and Ringo, I attended most of the Beatles’ recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios for The Beatles White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be. … It was a very exciting time to be around,” Herring said.

Sotheby’s – the auctioneer – described the item as “gold-tone, wire-framed sunglasses by Oliver Goldsmith, round green-tinted lenses, with ‘Oliver Goldsmith’ engraved on each inner temple, nonprescription, lacking screw on one side resulting in loose temple, and lens — minor scratching to lenses,” even going so far as to describe the pair as “the most iconic sunglasses in rock ‘n’ roll history.”