A desk and chair used by John Lennon in the home he gifted to his Aunt Mimi has sold for $60,000 at auction.
Mimi Smith raised John for much of his early life.
She took on the care of her nephew after John’s mother died.
Mimi’s husband George was also close to John.
Young Lennon was devastated when first George then Julia died within three years of each other in 1955 and 1958.
Mimi gave John a stern but loving start in life and they remained close until his death,
Mimi famously disapproved of John’s love for rock ‘n’ roll music, telling him he would never make a living from his beloved guitar.
She later had her words put on a plaque in the house in Sandbanks, Poole, Dorset that John’s guitar bought for her.
This desk and chair were in the house and were used by John when he visited.
Mimi died in 1991, aged 85.
After her death, John’s widow Yoko Ono and his cousin Michael Cadwallerder gave several pieces from Mimi’s home to two nurses who had cared for her. They include this desk and chair.
Among the papers included with the furniture were letters that contained an account of Mimi’s last hours.
According to nurse Lynne Varcoe her final words were “Hello, John”.
The pieces are being sold by ANALOGr, a Los Angeles based auction house that speciaises in music sales.
They say ahead of the sale: “John used these pieces during his visits in the 1960s, a time encompassing the height of ‘Beatlemania’ and beyond. The desk and chair are not just furniture; they are silent witnesses to moments of creative brilliance and familial connection.
“A family heirloom of this emotional significance from one of the most iconic and celebrated musicians in history is seldom seen – let alone offered for sale.”
The winning bid was $60,000 against an estimate range of $50,000 to $75,000.
