This lot will be auctioned on Friday, November 4th. The auction will begin at 3:00PM GMT and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace. Note other lots in the auction may close on Thursday, November 3rd; Saturday, November 5th; or Sunday, November 6th.

A pair of Altec 605A monitors which originally came from Abbey Road Studios. Altec monitors were introduced to the control room in Studio 2 at Abbey Road in 1959 and remained there throughout the 1960s. Additional pairs were used as transportable monitors in other studios and around the building. Record producer George Martin used Altec monitors to mix most of The Beatles' recordings.

In 1969, The Beatles moved to Twickenham Film Studios and Apple Corps headquarters to record their album Let It Be and the documentary of the same name, directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg. Four Altec 605A monitors (including these two) were taken to both locations for the recording sessions. The monitors were numbered by music studio EMI, one "4" and "6" (the other duo were numbered "3" and "8"). They can be seen in "Part 2: Days 8-16" and "Part 3: Days 17-22" of Peter Jackson's 2021 documentary series The Beatles: Get Back, as Jackson utilised original footage from the Let It Be sessions. Both pairs were later sold by another collector to music archivist Chris Hewitt.

Both these monitors have received sympathetic restoration to the plywood carcasses and have been restored using the original type of Altec paint used in the 1950s. They comprise a silver-painted plywood exterior; a protective black fabric panel on the front; and a green plaque with the Altec branding and a control switch on the back. Inside both monitors is an EMI Records Limited branded label with the Abbey Road address printed along the top. One label reads "Altec 605A No 4", and the other features the text "Altec 605A No 6" . Each monitor has intertwined red and black cables running out of the back; the electronics were tested by Hewitt and are still functioning. The exteriors exhibit minor scuffing, and one of the green plaques displays notable marks. The lot is accompanied by three printed behind-the-scenes photos.

This lot comes from the personal collection of Chris Hewitt, noted audio archaeologist and author of several books on vintage sound equipment. A letter from him is included. Dimensions (each monitor): 45 cm x 64.5 cm x 75 cm (17 3/4" x 25 1/4" x 29 1/2")

Special shipping required; see notice in the Buyer's Guide.

Contains electronics; see electronics notice in the Buyer's Guide

Estimate: £60,000 - 100,000 M