(Lennon, John)

John Lennon's Assassination Collection

New York, NY: Various, 1980-1981. First editions. Loose-folded, stapled, single sheet. Due to the size of the collection shipping is an additional $5.00. to normal pricing Weight: 3.875 pounds. This year marks what would have been the 70th birthday of John Lennon, on October 9. Tragically, it also marks the 30th anniversary of his assassination, on December 8. Third Mind Books commemorates the legacy of John Lennon with a very special offering, The John Lennon Collection, consisting of:

* The "Extra" morning edition of the New York Post dated December 9, 1980, among the very earliest printed announcements immediately following Lennon's murder late on the previous night, with the headline "JOHN LENNON SHOT DEAD" taking up most of the front page; along with articles hurriedly written in the initial shock of the event. Complete loose-folded newspaper in Very Fine condition, pages flat without any major tears, but low-quality newspaper stock yellowing, with mild fading to print & images, especially front & back pages, inevitable in such items. Further deterioration of this & other fragile items in the Collection can probably be prevented or greatly slowed with conservation measures.

* The "Tuesday Night Edition" of the New York Daily News Tonight dated December 10, 1980 (Tuesday was December 9), with the large headline "Killer stalked him 3 days" above a photo of Lennon signing an autograph for the very miscreant who would murder him hours later on the front page; a 16-page pullout section on Lennon's life & many other articles & commentaries relating to the killing that had occurred just over a day earlier. Complete loose-folded newspaper in same condition as above item, with small tears at bottom of front & back pages.

*The December 10-16 issue of the Soho News, a NYC periodical, published 2 days after Lennon's death, with a full-front page color photo of Lennon with the years of his birth & death; 4 pages of relevant articles & a large pullout photo of John & Yoko. Complete loose-folded periodical in same condition as above items, large format printed on newspaper-quality stock, a few small tears at bottom of front page & right top corner of back page.
* The December 10-16 issue of The Village Voice, the well-known NYC periodical, with an article by Robert Christgau, accompanied by a photo of John & Yoko, taking up the front page. Only the front page contains any reference to Lennon, it must have been hurriedly prepared so soon after the event. Complete loose-folded periodical in same condition as above items, large format printed on newspaper stock, very small tears & creases at bottom of front page, straight closed crease at left top of back page.

* The January 22, 1981 issue of Rolling Stone magazine, published on December 24, 1980, a particularly famous item completely devoted to Lennon, featuring a color photo of a nude John embracing Yoko taken by Annie Leibovitz on the very day of his murder; along with many letters to the editor, articles, reminiscences & photos throughout the issue. Stapled periodical in fine condition, with slight yellowing to edges of pages, paper is better quality than newspaper stock but of similar non-glossy quality, small closed tears at spine, especially lower staple, tiny missing tear near lower right corner of front cover, not effecting image, very small closed tear at middle of top edge of back cover.

* A large poster announcing "JOHN LENNON'S MURDER WAS A POLITICAL ASSASSINATION!" printed & distributed in NYC shortly after Lennon's murder by the "Assassination Information Committee," probably a Communist revolutionary group, connecting Lennon's murder to other traumatic events as part of a web of "capitalist" conspiracies, etc. Acres of fine-print text add up to a vintage screed in the good ole' breathlessly shrill, strident, paranoid ultra-radical political tradition seizing on the tragic event to connect the dots "with geometric logic," as Captain Queeg would say. In fine condition with faint vertical crease across middle, very tiny hole near right bottom corner, very minor creases at edges, tiny closed tear/fold at lower left corner. No yellowing to thin but apparently high-quality paper stock. Indented ring of discoloration around middle of outer tube when wrapped, due to grip of rubber band for many years, this also accounts for the vertical crease noted above.

* The June 22, 1981 issue of New York magazine, with the cover story "John Lennon's Killer: The Nowhere Man" by Craig Unger, featuring a front cover illustration of Lennon's killer in appropriately dull & somber tones. Stapled periodical in very fine condition except for loss of image at three small areas near lower left corner of front cover, not effecting image of killer's dull, dreary face. High-quality glossy paper stock only very slightly yellowed at edges, print & images very sharp throughout.
The John Lennon's Assassination Collection is as much an extended peek into the real fabric of NYC in the late stage of its infamous "Bronx is burning" '70s decline as they are frozen moments of reaction to a traumatic event in our culture & society. The Village Voice issue, for example, is complete with ads for late Punk/early New Wave clubs & performances; & for swingers' haunts & gay sex emporiums just before the advent of the AIDS epidemic.

The significance of this collection is in the sum of its parts, & so we offer it as one chronological, organic unit. Fine/Very Fine. [Item #1593]

Price: $250.00