A print of the last known photograph of John Lennon, showing the Beatle signing an autograph for the man who would hours later shoot him dead, is being auctioned this month.
The picture was taken by Paul Goresh on December 8, 1980 and signed by Goresh on July 9, 1988.
Lennon was snappedas he left the Dakota building where he lived.
In the frame is another face, that of Mark David Chapman, who looks on as Lennon concentrates on signing a copy of his new Double Fantasy LP.
Goresh was above all a fan. He met his hero, who after initial hostility (while Lennon lived a private life in New York) allowed him to take photos.
And that’s why Goresh was at the Dakota on the night of December 8.
Paul Goresh struck up a friendship of sorts with Lennon.
He tried to contact New York police after the shooting, but with Chapman arrested on the spot and clearly guilty, they eventually threatened to arrest Goresh for wasting their time.
His local police department helped him get in touch with the New York Daily News, who published the picture, an astonishing record of a man with his assassin.
The image was frame 19 in Goresh’s camera.
The subsequent pictures also show Lennon but this image was used by the Daily News and has assumed the mantle of the “last-known” picture of John.
Collector Paul Burke bought the picture.
He told Heritage Auctions, who are handling this sale:
“This photograph was developed on December 9th, 1980, by The New York Daily News. It is
one of three developed that day, of which Goresh kept two. The one being offered for sale
here and the second being the one his estate sold upon his death. They differ from the early
1981 shots in that they were blank backed and featured equal margins. They were developed
by The Slide Centre in Rutherford NJ.”
He concludes: “It is hard to think of a more iconic photograph in music history. It was a moment in time that shocked the world and one which will be forever immortalised in this image. I’ve had indirect contact with Chapman on several occasions trying to hawk anything and everything for sale.
“He craved fame, Lennon died in pursuit of that. This photo shouldn’t make a hero of Chapman but serve to remind people what happens when the blind pursuit of notoriety meets crashing mediocrity.”
As one of the most famous public figures of the 20th century, John Lennon is enormously collectible.
But items related to his murder can be controversial.
The album Lennon signed, a copy of his latest release Double Fantasy, recorded with his wife Yoko Ono, has reportedly been sold for $1.5 million.
It has also been listed for sale and withdrawn.
Heritage sold a print of this image, unsigned, in 2023 for $28,000 in total with buyer’s premium. The value of this image will show whether that was a good buy or not.
The picture is listed in Heritage’s January 12th Photo Legends Showcase Auction.
