LOS ANGELES, CA.- A three-and-a-half minute film of the Beatles performing at the ABC Theatre in Blackpool, England will be auctioned by Nate D. Sanders Auctions on September 24. It is the earliest known color recording of the iconic band. Also going under the hammer are unpublished negatives of John Lennon with his wife Yoko Ono taken just two days before he was assassinated. Interested bidders may participate in the auction online.

John Lennon Negatives
BBC producer and photographer Paul Williams shot photos of John Lennon with his wife Yoko Ono on December 6, 1980 just two days before Mark Chapman shot Lennon to death in New York’s Central Park. The photos were taken during Lennon’s final interview, at the Hit Factory, a legendary New York recording studio. DJ Andy Peebles conducted the interview for the BBC; the interview became known as the Last Lennon Tapes. Williams shot nine photos of Lennon with Ono and one solo shot of Ono. Twenty-three of the photos feature Peebles with unidentified people.

The last photos of John Lennon were taken by Annie Lebiowitz on the day of his death. Bidding for the negatives begins at $14,000.

Beatle Color Footage
On August 25, 1963, skiffle performer Chas McDevitt shot 3 ½ minutes of 8 mm footage of the Beatles performing at the ABC Theatre in Blackpool, England along with backstage clips. In the earliest known color recording of the Beatles, McDevitt captured John Lennon performing his “spastic” handclapping routine. Most of the film shows the Fab Four backstage in a montage: the Beatles reading their fan mail, John Lennon playing with the Shadows’ lead guitarist Hank Marvin’s glasses, Lennon playfully combing and styling his hair, George Harrison tuning his guitar and all four band members talking to people backstage.

The Beatles had recently topped the charts for the first time, when they performed at the ABC Theatre on July 7, 1963. The Beatles played six times in coastal Blackpool from July to September 1963. Carry On actor Jack Douglas introduced the Beatles while McDevitt also performed during the August 25, 1963, show.

The lot includes a letter from Chas McDevitt, in which he relinquishes the copyright to the film and the original concert program. Bidding for the footage begins at $14,000.