George Harrison's Unfinished Toast from 1963 Sells at Auction: A Beatles Fan's Unusual Memento

George Harrison's Unfinished Toast from 1963 Sells at Auction: A Beatles Fan's Unusual Memento

By Marcus Hartley

February 28, 2025 at 09:58 PM

A piece of toast allegedly partially eaten by George Harrison in 1963 has been acquired by memorabilia dealer Joseph O'Donnell for an undisclosed amount. The toast, preserved in a scrapbook for decades, represents a unique piece of Beatles history.

George Harrison's uneaten toast at auction

George Harrison's uneaten toast at auction

The story began when 15-year-old Beatles fan Sue Houghton befriended the Harrison family. During a visit to their home on August 2, 1963 - the day before The Beatles' final show at Liverpool's Cavern Club - Houghton collected the discarded toast crust and preserved it with the note "Piece of George's breakfast. 2-8-63."

In 1991, Christie's auction house in London sold the toast alongside a John Lennon love letter for $94,800. Harrison himself later joked about the artifact's authenticity, claiming in a 1992 VOX magazine interview, "I ate all my toast! I never left any!"

The toast's preservation was part of Houghton's unique approach to Beatles memorabilia. She focused on collecting mundane items from their daily lives, items so minor they wouldn't be missed. Harrison's mother Louise had welcomed the young fan into their home, even allowing her to explore George's room.

Mark Lewisohn's 2013 book "The Beatles – All These Years" documents this relationship, including a letter from Harrison to Houghton thanking her for gifts to his mother and playfully providing car-washing instructions.

This unusual piece joins the ranks of valuable Beatles memorabilia, though not quite reaching the heights of items like John Lennon's Help! recording guitar, which recently sold for $2.85 million after being discovered in an English countryside attic.

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