Lot 11
Vintage John Lennon Photographs 8 x 10 by David Spindel
Ten vintage black and white photographs of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, taken at a studio recording session just months before his untimely death. Each photograph is carefully protected by archival sleeves and acid-free paper. All are signed by photographer David Spindel. In this collection of photographs, there is a relaxed Lennon, Ono, and sound crew in the recording booth; an extreme close-up of Lennon and Oko; John Lennon in the recording room studio with a guitar; Lennon and Oko at an engineering board with several sound engineers; Lennon with a cigarette solo at the sound board; Lennon with a guitar; the jackets worn by Lennon and Oko that day hanging by an open window; a focus-controlled image of Lennon singing at a microphone; Lennon in the studio with a guitar looking up; and Lennon with headphones playing a guitar.
From the consignor:
My John Lennon Story
As a teenager growing up in Brooklyn, I enjoyed the music and movies of John Lennon and the Beatles. Little did I know what the future held for me.
I have been primarily a still-life, commercial photographer since 1965 and although I have photographed numerous celebrities and musicians, it is not an area of photography that I concentrate a great deal of time on. One day, in late October of 1980, my photographic representative’s brother in-law came to my studio and said he had a group of musicians that was interested in seeing my work. They were seeking new publicity photographs. I told him that this type of photography assignment was for a photographer that specialized in this area of work. He said that these photographs were for some very special people that he felt I would definitely want to work with. I wasn’t told who these people were and so I figured I’d sabotage the assignment because, like other musicians I’d worked with, they’d most probably be shy on funds anyway. So, I put together a portfolio of some of my still life images and a few very obscure and provocative portraits thinking that they would be turned off to working with me. To make a long story short, these musicians hired me!
Still, not knowing who the musicians were, all I had was the location of the photo assignment – The Hit Factory, NYC. When I arrived there, I remember getting a premonition that the people I was going to photograph were very special people. Moments later, Yoko came out of the recording room. She looked familiar but I wasn’t sure it was her. I had not seen that many recent photos of her and even so, people look different when you see them in person. Yoko led me to a small room and left me there to set up my equipment.
The first photo she wanted was of a large group of nearly 15 musicians. I told her that there wouldn’t be sufficient space in the room she had picked. So, we selected another area. When I went back to get my equipment, a man was lying on a floor mat getting a massage. As I started to move my equipment, the man on the floor turned towards me. It was John Lennon. I broke out in a cold sweat! I was going to photograph John Lennon! He turned to me and said, “I usually charged people a fee to watch me get a massage”. I was sure he was joking so I thought for a second and said, “I usually charge people to watch me move my equipment.” We both laughed.
After I finished setting up in the large room, John walked in. There was something very undeniably extraordinary about him. I really can’t put into words exactly what I felt being around him. He seemed to have an inner glow, a charisma and an uncommon, yet perfect sense of humanity that few people possess. Spending time with him made me feel absolutely wonderful, positive, and alive. His love of life and family seemed to be what kept him going and he was a man who truly loved his work, if you want to call it work. Most artists, including myself, feel we are paid to carry out our heart’s desire.
The next day, I brought all the photographs from the shoot back to the Dakota to show them to John and Yoko. Most of the comments John made about the photos made everyone laugh and I felt very exhilarated to be there with both of them. As I prepared to leave the Dakota, John said “I look forward to seeing you again”.
As I rode back to my studio, I found it difficult to believe this entire experience really happened. During the next month, Yoko & I made arrangements numerous times for more photos but she had to postpone the sessions. I couldn‘t wait to photograph them in my studio. I must have taken the photographs in my mind over a hundred times as I prepared for that day. Weeks passed and now it was the month of December – and tragedy struck.
For days I found it difficult to admit to myself that it really happened. I feel that John will never really die for he lives on in our hearts and minds through the music, lyrics, and paintings he created. There are no more words to be spoken. I will always have truly fond memories of the special time I spent with John and Yoko.
Estimate: $4,000 - $6,000
