John Lennon, Yoko Ono

A truly fascinating collection of rare material relating to John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s ‘Bed-In for Peace’, which took place at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam, Holland, between the 25th and 31st March 1969. 

• Sold as a set of 8 documents and items.
• John Lennon (English).
• Yoko Ono (Japanese).
• Each is presented unframed.

On the 20th March 1969, John and Yoko were married in Gibraltar before travelling to Paris for a short honeymoon. The couple then journeyed to Amsterdam in John’s white Rolls Royce, where they took up residence on the ninth floor of the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel in Room 902 – the Presidential Suite – to stage the now famous Bed-In for Peace protest. News of the event spread rapidly, and hundreds of journalists soon gathered at the hotel. 

After reading about the event in her attic bedroom in the small village of Aerdenhout, Holland, a 16 year old Dutch Beatles fan named Constance Vrijdaghs decided to travel to the Amsterdam Hilton on the 26th March 1969. Upon arriving, she began chatting with two girls and a boy who were standing outside, gazing up at the windows displaying the “Hair Peace” and “Bed Peace” signs. Constance asked whether they had been upstairs, and when they replied that they had not, she resolved to try and meet her idol herself. 

Once inside the hotel, Constance told the doorman she was heading to the bar for a coffee. As soon as she passed him, she ran to the lift, jumped inside, and pressed the button for the ninth floor. Unfortunately, the doors did not close quickly enough, and she was stopped by a porter. Thinking quickly, Constance produced her Dutch Beatles Fan Club membership card and explained, “I am from the Dutch Beatles Fan Club and I would like to congratulate John and Yoko on their marriage. I am also here to interview them.”. 

The porter was skeptical and escorted her out of the lift, asking her to wait in the lobby while he made a call. Around twenty minutes later, two representatives from Bovema, The Beatles’ record company in Holland, arrived and escorted her to Room 902 on the ninth floor. 

When the door opened, John and Yoko were sitting on the bed in their pajamas. Constance congratulated them on their recent marriage, and John invited her to sit on the edge of the bed. She chatted with the couple for some time and asked them to sign her copy of the March 1969 issue of The Beatles Monthly Book, which they happily did. 

After a while, Constance was asked to leave by the record company executives. However, before departing, she asked John whether, if she wrote down some questions in the hotel lobby for an article she was preparing for the Dutch Beatles Fan Club, he and Yoko would answer them and send them back to her. The couple agreed. 

On the 28th March 1969 the completed and signed questionnaires in John and Yoko’s hand with a covering letter on Amsterdam Hilton letterhead paper were mailed back to Constance in her home town of Aerdenhout. 

The archive consists of the following material:

• A one-page covering letter on Amsterdam Hilton letterhead, handwritten by John Lennon in black felt-tip pen and signed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. The letter reads: 

“Dear Constance, 

It was too complicated to do it the way you wanted — so I wrote in BLACK and Yoko in BLUE. On most things we thought the same, so only JOHN filled in. 

John 

Yoko” 

The covering letter measures 18.7cm x 26.5cm (7.3 inches by 10.4 inches).

• Questionnaire 1 – A sheet of white lined notepad paper on which Constance Vrijdaghs has handwritten 11 questions over both sides of the sheet to put to John and Yoko. The couple have handwritten their respective responses in black and blue pens. At the end of the questionnaire John Lennon has signed in black felt tipped pen and Yoko Ono has signed in blue ballpoint pen. John has also drawn facial doodles of himself and Yoko. The questionnaire reads as follows: 

Will you both please answer the questions? 

For instance John 1–6 and Yoko 7–11, and on the other page Yoko 1–6 and John 7–11. Thank you! 

1. Do you both still use drugs? 

John: “Occasionally.” 

2. Are you going to make a second album with Yoko? 

John: “It’s finished and out on May 2nd.” 

3. What do you think at the moment? 

John: “I feel tired. I want peace. And some food.” 

4. You believe in reincarnation, isn’t it? What do you think you’ll be after life? 

John: “Something nice.” 

Yoko: “I will be with John again.” 

5. Do you really believe you can talk to Brian Epstein by means of ( ) calling him up? 

John: “Maybe. I believe in EVERYTHING until it is disproved.” 

6. Yoko, is your film of ‘John’s Smile’ coming in the cinemas of Holland? 

John: “YES — soon.” 

Yoko: “Hope so.” 

7. Why did you come to Amsterdam for your honeymoon trip? 

John: “Because the youth of Amsterdam are HIP and AWARE.” 

(Accompanied by a doodle of two eyes and a nose.) 

Yoko: “Good vibration.” 

8. What do you think of the Maharishi at this moment? 

John: “I like him, and I still meditate.” 

9. Why do you say that people may say you’re the most awful couple in the world? You two look just lovely in those white pyjamas. 

John: “It hurts when people are cruel — but I also feel sorry for them. And thank you.” 

10. When is that live (sic) concert coming? Is it coming now you had a kind of fight with George? 

John: “Soon. It was only an argument — not a real fight. The press exaggerate, you know!” 

11. What do you think Apple will do in the future? 

John: “Many things — records, films, etc.” 

The page concludes with the request “Will you please sign here?” followed by the signatures of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and the handwritten line “Thank you very, very much.”. 

The questionnaire measures 21cm x 25.5cm (8.2 inches by 10 inches).

• Questionnaire 2 – A second sheet of white lined notepad paper, again handwritten on both sides by Constance Vrijdaghs, containing 11 further questions. The answers are handwritten by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in black and blue pen respectively. At the conclusion, John Lennon has signed in black felt-tip pen and Yoko Ono in blue ballpoint pen, with additional facial doodles by John. The questionnaire reads as follows: 

1. Do you both still use drugs? 

John: “Occasionally.” 

2. Are you going to make a second album with Yoko? 

John: “It’s out on May 2nd.” 

3. What do you think at the moment? 

John: “I’m hungry.” 

4. You believe in reincarnation, isn’t it? What do you think you’ll be after life? 

John: “Happy.” 

5. Do you really believe you can talk to Brian Epstein by means of séances? 

John: “Maybe — I believe in everything.” 

6. Yoko, is your film of ‘John’s Smile’ coming in the cinemas of Holland? 

Yoko: “I hope so.” 

7. Why did you come to Amsterdam for your honeymoon trip? 

Yoko: “It’s a beautiful place for it and I’m glad we came.” 

8. What do you think of the Maharishi at this moment? 

Yoko: “I respect him and I am thankful that we learnt meditation from him.” 

9. Why do you say that people may say you’re the most awful couple in the world? You two look just lovely in those white pyjamas. 

Yoko: “Thank you — but you know, up till now we’ve had many criticisms from all over the world.” 

10. When is that live (sic) concert coming? 

John: “See other paper.” 

11. What do you think Apple will do in the future? 

John: “See other paper.” 

The sheet concludes with the request for signatures, followed by their signatures, and the handwritten closing “Thank you very, very much.”. 

The questionnaire measures 21cm x 25.5cm (8.2 inches by 10 inches).

• A black and white snapshot photograph of John Lennon and Yoko Ono taken during a television interview. Signed on the reverse in blue ballpoint pen by both John and Yoko, with facial doodles by John alongside his signature. A crease is present across the lower half of the photograph. Constance Vrijdaghs has written the date 26 March 1969 beneath the signatures. The photograph measures 9cm x 9cm (3.5 inches by 3.5 inches).

• A vintage black and white press photograph of John and Yoko taken inside the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel during the Bed-In for Peace (25–31 March 1969). The reverse bears handwritten notes by Constance Vrijdaghs, including the date 26 March 1969. The photograph measures 20cm x 30cm (7.8 inches by 11.8 inches).

• Constance Vrijdaghs’ Dutch Beatles Fan Club membership card, used to gain access to Room 902 at the Amsterdam Hilton. The membership card measures 16cm x 11.3cm (6.2 inches by 4.4 inches).

• A Dutch catalogue for John Lennon’s ‘Bag One’ exhibition. The catalogue measures 16.5cm x 15cm (6.4 inches by 5.9 inches).

• The original mailing envelope used to return the covering letter and handwritten questionnaires to Constance Vrijdaghs in Aerdenhout, Holland, postmarked 28 March 1969. It is annotated “Hilton Hotel, Room 902, Mr Hille & Boskamp, Bovema.”. The envelope measures 26cm x 16.5cm (10.2 inches by 6.4 inches).