The original door key to Paul McCartney's childhood home at 20 Forthlin Road in Allerton has sold for £6,100 at auction in the UK, triple its estimated value. The key, which had been treasured by an American Beatles fan for more than six decades, was expected to fetch between £2,000 and £3,000.
A key piece of Beatles history
20 Forthlin Road was the McCartney family home from 1955 until 1963 and became an important location in the development of the Beatles' music. It was here that Paul McCartney and John Lennon spent time writing and developing songs, while the group also rehearsed and made early home recordings there.
The key's story began when a 13-year-old American Beatles fan, Kathleen 'Kathy' Salt, was living in New York and wrote a letter simply addressed to 'Occupant, 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton, Liverpool'. Months later, she received a three-page handwritten reply from Ashley T. Jones, who had moved into the house with his family after the McCartneys left.
A letter and a key from 1965
Jones sent Kathy one of the two original keys, believed to have been McCartney's own key, which he had been given, accompanied by a three-page letter response and a period photograph of the house.
Part of the letter reads: “I am enclosing a key from the house for you. To all the people I have written to since I came to live at this address, you are only the second to be given a key (the first was also an American girl). We were only given two keys when we moved into this house, so you have one of the originals; it could have been Paul's.”
Kathy treasured the key for more than six decades but decided that the time had come to pass her beloved Beatles collection on to new custodians.
Competitive bidding and autographs
The brass Yale key caused competitive bidding both on the phones and online at UK auctioneers Dominic Winter Auctioneers, with it finally winning out to a private collector in the UK.
Also achieving a strong result in the sale were four Beatles autographs, each inscribed to “Kathy”, together with associated photographs and ephemera, which sold for £5,124 against an estimate of £3,000–£5,000 to a private collector in the UK.
The autographs were obtained by Kathy's father, Frank Duffy, who was working in security for National Airlines during the Beatles' first American tour in 1964. Duffy was assigned to provide security for John Lennon and Cynthia Lennon and to oversee the Beatles' flight from New York to Miami. He took the opportunity to ask the four Beatles to sign for his daughter.
Auctioneer's reaction
Chris Albury, Director at Dominic Winter Auctioneers, said: “The level of competition we saw today demonstrates that the Beatles' popularity remains as strong as ever.
“What makes these particular pieces so extraordinary is the deeply personal links to the band and to the people and places that formed part of their story. The 20 Forthlin Road key is an example.
“It has a remarkable provenance stretching back to 1965 and provides a tangible connection to Paul McCartney's family home and to one of the most important addresses in Beatles history.
“To see it sell for £6,100 for three times its low estimate after such strong bidding was a fantastic result.
“The Beatles autographs have a wonderfully personal story too, having been obtained directly for Kathy by her father during the band's first American tour.
“Their result of £5,124, against an estimate of £3,000–£5,000, further demonstrates the enduring appeal of material that brings fans into direct contact with the Beatles' extraordinary history.”
