Few objects tell the story of John Lennon as much as a pair of round glasses. They weren’t just an accessory, but a symbol that accompanied him throughout his life, to the point of becoming an inseparable part of his image. Today, a rare pair of prescription glasses with tinted lenses, worn by Lennon between 1973 and 1974 – a turbulent period for the musician, as noted on Propstore, the site where they are up for auction until October 23 – resurfaces among collectors, full of stories and anecdotes.

Lennon began wearing them in 1967, on the set of the film How I Won the War. From then on, he never took them off: the round frames became a trademark, so much so that they are now one of the most coveted objects among fans. This specific pair dates back to the period of the so-called Lost Weekend, the 18 months away from Yoko Ono spent in Los Angeles with May Pang, turbulent years but also rich in collaborations.

The glasses appear in key moments: on the cover of the single Mind Games, in shoots for Crawdaddy magazine, and in domestic photos taken in Bel Air. But above all, they were at the center of the infamous night of March 12, 1974, when Lennon and Harry Nilsson, drunk, disrupted the Smothers Brothers’ show at the Troubadour Club. In the ensuing scuffle, Lennon lost these very glasses, which ended up in the hands of Tommy Smothers’ wife, while outside the venue photos captured him without them.

Made by American Optical, with gold frames and thick lenses, they bear the marks of time and are now preserved in a custom display case. An object that captures Lennon in his entirety: icon, provocateur, man.