John Lennon's loo and rare record set to be big hits at sale

Published on Sunday 22 August 2010 15:04

John Lennon's toilet and one of his rarest albums will be among the highlights of an auction of Beatles memorabilia this week.

A mono-sound copy Two Virgins, which he recorded with Yoko Ono, is expected to fetch at least 2,500.

When the avant-garde LP was released in November 1968 it was notable for being sold in brown paper bags because the sleeve controversially featured a picture of the couple naked on the cover.

Although a limited release of 5,000 stereo versions of the album were available in shops, fans had to write to the record label to buy a mono copy.

The exact number of mono copies sold is not known, but auction organisers say it is likely to be as few as a "couple of hundred". As a result, the sale, part of the 33rd annual Beatles Convention in Liverpool, is attracting record levels of interest.

The auction is also inviting bids for Lennon's toilet from Tittenhurst Park, his Berkshire home between 1969 and 1972. Lennon told builder John Hancock to keep the porcelain lavatory and "use it as a plant pot" after he had installed a new one. It was stored in a shed at Mr Hancock's home for 40 years until he died recently. The toilet carries an estimate of 750 to 1,000.

There are a total of 295 lots being sold in the auction, in Liverpool, on Saturday.