SI42. A Beatles Autographed Empire Airways Postcard, Autographed On Their Way Back From Australia In Mid-1964

Description

On June 3rd, 1964, The Beatles departed London to embark upon their first World Tour. But it wasn’t the usual Beatles lineup as we know it, because Ringo Starr had just been admitted to the hospital with a sudden case of tonsillitis. Facing the cancellation of several concerts, manager Brian Epstein had to scramble and quickly find an experienced and suitable replacement for Ringo. On short notice, talented session drummer Jimmie Nicol was hired and for the next 13 days he was a Beatle! He was perfect for the job – and Ringo’s stage wear fit him well – which was a huge bonus, because there was no time to order new matching stage suits for him. During his time with the band, The Beatles played shows in Denmark, The Netherlands, Hong Kong and Australia. On June 14th, in Melbourne, Australia, a fully recovered Ringo rejoined The Beatles in Melbourne, and he finished out the Oceania segment of the World Tour, which included concerts in multiple cities in New Zealand, then back to Australia for a few more shows. On July 1st, the day their final show down under in Brisbane, The Beatles flew back from Australia on a Qantas Boeing 707 V jet airplane. While aboard this plane on the journey back home to London they stopped twice to refuel, in Singapore and Frankfurt, and they landed back in England just before noon on July 2nd.

The signed postcard offered here features a color shot a Qantas Boeing 707 V plane similar to the one they flew back home from Australia. On the back of the card, all four Beatles have autographed beautifully in blue ballpoint pen. The signatures are extraordinary examples, with each about as nicely as they could have signed on the day. The pilot of the plane, who got the autographs for his 14 year old neighbor Liz, has written his name in the lower right hand corner. This signed postcard comes with a letter from the original recipient, who has had the pleasure of owning it until very recently. The card measures 5 1/2″ x 3 1/2″ and is in very good condition overall, having been well kept over the years. With excellent provenance, signed by The Beatles at exactly the half way point of 1964, this is a magnificent representative set of Beatles autographs from that important and historical year in the history of the band.