Beatles 'Sgt. Pepper' costume patterns to be auctioned

They haven't gotten as much notice as the much-publicized 1960 letter from Paul McCartney, but there are several other unique Beatles items up for sale at the Christie's Kensington auction in November. They include the patterns used to make the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album costumes.

 

According to the catalog description, these are "costume patterns for the luminous military-style suits made for the Beatles and worn on the 1967 album cover 'Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band'; the patterns cut from brown paper comprise of two sets, one with measurments for John, Paul and George, the back pattern annotated with measurments 19½ seems J.L, G.H 9½ - 20 seem, P.MC 5" and a separate pattern for Ringo; accompanied by a letter concerning the provenance and a corresponding copy of the album (19)."

 

The seller is the chief man's pattern cutter at Berman's costumiers, which later changed its name to Berman's and Nathan's. In the letter accompanying the lot, he states "I measured the Beatles for the uniforms and also fitted them." He recalls that there were two patterns one used for three band menbers, John, Paul and George and a separate pattern for Ringo. The suits were then altered and fitted to each individual Beatle while the suit was put together."

 

Robert Fraser was the art director for the album cover and worked very closely with the band, especially Paul McCartney. There has been discussion as to who designed the suits. The vendor of the patterns says he can't recall who it was, though he says in his letter "I was given some ideas, discussed them with the Beatles and used my judgment to interpret the design to make the costumes." 

 

 Other items include the Bed Peace sign from the '69 John & Yoko Montreal bed-in signed by them, 30 photos with copyright of John and Yoko in Paris after leaving London because of heavy press coverage, a picture of the Beatles fooling around with Cassius Clay (Muhammed Ali) in 1964, a brass Apple Corps paperweight, a movie poster from "Yellow Submarine," copies of several of the George Harrison-related Genesis books, including "George Songs By George Harrison," "Fifty Years Adrift" by George and Derek Taylor and "I Me Mine," early John Lennon drawings and Beatles trading cards.