By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
Uri Geller, the renowned spoon bending magician and mystic, has disclosed that he is the buyer of a pair of John Lennon’s iconic round glasses, which sold for £40,000 at auction on Wednesday. The blue tinted spectacles were auctioned at Farleigh Golf Club in Surrey. These glasses were originally given by the former Beatle to a Surrey resident as a birthday gift over 55 years ago.
Catherine Southon Auctioneers initially announced that the glasses had been sold to an anonymous overseas buyer. On Thursday, Geller revealed himself as the purchaser, expressing his "elation" over the acquisition.
Geller, who had a close friendship with Lennon in the 1970s while both were living in New York, stated, “I knew I had to buy these glasses no matter the cost. I would have bid up to £500,000. Glasses are a passage into our soul, into our psyche.”
He also reflected on his profound connection with Lennon, who was tragically killed outside his New York home in December 1980. Geller said, “John changed my life as that’s where I learned about spirituality. He believed in UFOs, as do I, and he was intrigued by my alien collection. He even gave me an alien egg.” The glasses will be prominently featured in the John Lennon section of Geller's museum in Tel Aviv, alongside the alien egg.
Catherine Southon explained that Lennon gifted the glasses to their seller, identified only as Michael, at Abbey Road Studios in 1968. Michael recounted that his then girlfriend, Penny, who had many musician friends, invited him to the Beatles’ recording studio as a birthday surprise.
Michael recalled, “I picked up a pair of glasses from a piano. Penny warned, ‘Don’t touch.’ John Lennon turned around and said, ‘He’s all right. In fact, he can have them. Happy birthday!’ Although the glasses were not Lennon’s prescription lenses, Michael cherished them as a birthday gift from the iconic musician.
In addition to the glasses, Michael also took 33 black and white photographs of Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and George Martin during his visits to Abbey Road in 1968 and 1969. These photos sold for £2,600. Some of the images were taken on the same day as the famous Abbey Road album cover photoshoot, which featured the Beatles walking across the zebra crossing near the studio.
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