A collection of previously unseen photographs of deceased Beatles star John Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, taken in Paris, Amsterdam and London in 1969 by Brazilian photographer Luiz Garrido were auctioned last week but failed to reach the reserve price required for their sale.
Put under the hammer at the prestigious Bonhams auction house in New Bond Street, London, the lot of 45 color transparencies and 323 negatives — all sold with their copyright intact — capture a fascinating, intense and busy time in Lennon and Ono's early married life.
A representative for Bonhams expressed disappointment over the failed sale of the unique lot, stating there had been much interest at the exclusive presale viewing.
The auction house would not reveal the reserve price, but it was originally estimated that the collection would fetch between £75,000 and £90,000, or about $147,000 to $167,000.
Having first met the couple in March 1969 when they were honeymooning at the Plaza Athenee Hotel in Paris following their marriage in Gibraltar, photographer Garrido established an instant rapport with Lennon and Ono.
This resulted in an invitation for him to accompany them to Amsterdam and later London.
Included in the series of photographs — described by Bonhams as "remarkably informal and intimate images," achieved by Garrido's exclusive access to the famous pair — are numerous shots of Lennon working on what is thought to be "Give Peace a Chance," and composing in the Apple Records office in Savile Row.
