Lock of John Lennon’s hair to fetch over $12,000 at auction

Four-inch sample saved nearly 50 years ago by hairdresser during filming of movie

The lock (inset), snipped from the head of John Lennon in the 1960s, “likely contains hundreds of strands”. Photograph: Heritage Auctions/www.ha.com/Central Press/Getty Images
The lock (inset), snipped from the head of John Lennon in the 1960s, “likely contains hundreds of strands”. Photograph: Heritage Auctions/www.ha.com/Central Press/Getty Images

A lock of hair snipped from the head of John Lennon as the Beatle prepared for a film role is going up for auction with the current bid standing at $12,000 (€10,600).

Heritage Auctions said the hair was collected by Klaus Baruck, a German hairdresser who trimmed Lennon's hair before he started shooting the 1967 film How I Won The War.

The lock is 4 inches long and "likely contains hundreds of strands", according to Heritage.

The auctioneers say the sale is a “rare and important opportunity” and to the best of the company’s knowledge, it is the longest sample of Lennon’s hair ever put up for auction.

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The live auction will be held on February 20th in Dallas, Texas and Heritage says it will include other rare items linked to the Beatles, such as a signed photograph of all four members.

The company previously estimated the lock would sell for over $10,000, but online bidding has already exceeded that target.

Memorabilia from other artists such as Elvis Presley and Led Zeppelin will also be auctioned.

With reporting from PA

Dean Ruxton

Dean Ruxton

Dean Ruxton is an Audience Editor at The Irish Times. He also writes the Lost Leads archive series