03/07/2025
Four full sets of fresh-to-market Beatles autographs and a related collection of fan club correspondence will be auctioned in our Art & Antiques auction on Tuesday, July 8th. The collection of Melton Mowbray-based Kevin Bourgault, an avid Beatles fan who as a schoolboy, made it his mission to acquire John, Paul, George and Ringo’s signatures, headlines the sale.
The collection includes other fan club ephemera, a signed letter from the legendary Beatles producer George Martin and correspondence from the Beatles Fan Club secretary Freda Kelly.
One set of autographs, signed on a sheet of fan club headed paper, was received by 13-year-old Kevin circa 1963. In his letter to Freda Kelly, Kevin cheekily explained that he was running out of pennies for return postage. So, as well as the signatures of all four band members, the reply written by Ringo Starr saying, ‘Ta for your letter, which Freda passed on to us’ goes on to say, ‘Sorry to hear about your financial predicament!’
This set of autographs is being offered alongside six letters and other ephemera in one lot, estimated at £1,500 - £2,000. One letter dated 6th July 1967 from Freda Kelly relates to Kevin’s fan club membership and ends ‘Please feel free to get in touch whenever you wish.’ Another, dating from June 1966, is on AIR Studios headed paper. In this reply, Kevin failed to acquire more Beatles autographs but inadvertently gained George Martin’s signature as he explained, ‘If I had them writing autographs on the recording sessions for all the people who ask me, we would never have time to make any recordings!’
Another full set of signatures, written on a 1964 booklet entitled ‘Beatles Ltd’ is being offered with a guide price of £3,000 - £5,000. It is being sold in one lot with a letter Kevin received from Freda in 1966 saying, ‘I can get you a copy of Beatles Ltd. It is seven shillings and sixpence but it’s worth it.’ Taking her up on the offer, which cost him the equivalent of about £8 in today’s money, he duly received a booklet, signed in full and then multiple times by each band member next to their photographs inside.
Two further sets of signatures on black and white publicity cards are estimated at £300-£500 and £600-£800. Although still highly collectable, these guide prices reflect the fact that the ink on these sets has faded significantly, with one set only being visible through pen indentations.
“Freda Kelly took on the role of fan club secretary because she knew the group in Liverpool, and when the boys took off, she was full time and more!” comments Kevin. “I decided to take a chance with the booklet to see if Freda would get it signed, and she obviously liked my prose! So, all three of the sets came from the fan club apart from the publicity card where the ink has faded the most, which I managed to beg from a friend’s sister!”
The extent of Beatlemania was reflected in the experience of Freda Kelly, who regularly worked until 3am answering fan mail. Not realising she would immediately be inundated by hundreds of letters a day when she started her job against the advice of her father aged 17 in 1962, she initially used her family home address for correspondence. This is shown on the 1963 set of signatures on fan club notepaper headed ‘107 Brookdale Road, Liverpool’, as opposed to later letters sent from the fan club’s Covent Garden base.
“This kind of memorabilia always reignites the flame of Beatlemania among collectors, so we’re delighted to be offering Kevin Bourgault’s Beatles autographs and ephemera,” comments Gildings director Will Gilding. “Fresh to market Beatles autographs are rare, and it’s not often we come across a vendor with more than one set, so even though their condition varies we’re sure bidding will be brisk for Kevin’s four fab examples from the Fab Four!”
The auction begins at 10am on Tuesday 8th July, with viewing open to the public on Friday 4th and Monday 7th July, between 9am and 4:30pm. The Beatles' signatures feature as lots 216-219, and we would expect them to be sold around 12 noon.
The online catalogue can be found HERE
