John Lennon's Glasses Go Up for Auction. He Wore Them at a Crucial Point in His Life

Glasses were undoubtedly one of the most iconic elements of John Lennon's image. An item closely linked to a turbulent period in his personal life has just gone up for auction. The former Beatle wore them during his 18-month stay in Los Angeles following his split from Yoko Ono. The auction, organized by London auction house Propstore, will take place on October 23rd.

John Lennon's glasses are one of the items in the "Music Memorabilia Live Auction," which will take place on October 23 and 24. The accessory, estimated to fetch between £150,000 and £300,000 (from over £732,000 to £1.4 million), is linked to a turbulent time in Lennon's life and a surprising incident.

John Lennon's glasses/photo: PropStore Auctions

He wore this pair of tinted prescription glasses between 1973 and 1975, during a period he called his "lost weekend." This was the time of his 18-month separation from Yoko Ono , when the musician began a relationship with his assistant, May Pang. Lennon was in Los Angeles at the time. During one of his nights out, which ended in a fight, he lost his glasses.

"Lennon was wearing these glasses on March 12, 1974, when he and fellow musician Harry Nilsson, both heavily intoxicated, harassed the comedy duo the Smothers Brothers during their performance at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles. The constant heckling led to a fight, and security escorted Lennon and Nilsson from the venue," the auction catalog reads.

During the fight, Lennon lost his glasses, which Tommy Smothers' wife later found and took. She later threw a party where guests were thrilled to have the opportunity to wear the iconic glasses.

The glasses were first sold as part of Sotheby's Collector's Carousel auction in 1987. They were then auctioned at Christie's Popular Culture: Rock & Pop Memorabilia in 2008.