This lot will be auctioned on Thursday, April 30th. The auction will begin at 3:00PM (BST) / 10:00 AM (EDT) / 7:00AM (PDT) and lots are sold sequentially via live auctioneer; tune in to the live streaming broadcast on auction day to follow the pace.

A Christmas card from Freddie Mercury sent to Peter "Ratty" Hince. This lot comes from the personal collection of Peter Hince, who was Freddie Mercury's personal roadie and head of Queen's road crew for 11 years.

The green metallic card features the words "Merry Christmas" in gold on the front. Inside the card Mercury has inscribed "Dear Ratty, Have a Super 1988, Love Freddie x" in blue ink. Hince was nicknamed "Ratty" by Brian May when he first started working for Queen full-time in 1975. The card comes with a blank envelope and exhibits minor edge wear and light scratching to the green finish. This lot is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity co-signed by Peter Hince. Dimensions: 11 cm x 16 cm (4.25" x 6.25")

Peter Hince began his career in the music business in 1973 as an eighteen-year-old roadie working with David Bowie. Later that year, while touring with Mott the Hoople, he first encountered the then-unknown band Queen, who were supporting the group on their UK tour. During this period, Hince also worked on tours for artists including Lou Reed, Mick Ronson, Supertramp and Roxy Music, among others prominent in the 1970s music scene.

In the summer of 1975, as Queen recorded A Night at the Opera, Hince joined the band full-time. He served primarily as roadie to Freddie Mercury and bassist John Deacon, later becoming head of the band's road crew. During his more than a decade with Queen, Hince developed a passion for photography. Trusted by the band, he was frequently able to capture set-up and candid moments in the studio, during rehearsals, on video shoots and behind the scenes on tour. Many of these photographs were subsequently used internationally on album sleeves, single covers, posters and other promotional material.

Following Queen's final tour in 1986, Hince left the music industry and turned his long-standing hobby into a successful career as a photographer. He went on to win awards for his advertising work as well as for his distinctive black-and-white underwater photography. Throughout this period he remained close to Queen, particularly Freddie Mercury, photographing Mercury's solo projects and attending many of his private events and gatherings.

In recent years, Hince revisited his remarkable archive of Queen photographs, which formed the basis of the exhibition Queen - The Unseen Archive, now touring internationally. He has also returned to his earliest passion, writing. His memoir, Queen Unseen, received critical acclaim and has been published in more than twenty territories worldwide. In October 2023, a deluxe photographic volume, Queen Uncovered, was released, featuring many previously unseen images alongside rare memorabilia.

Based in London and Munich, Peter Hince continues to write, manage his photographic archive, and appear as a corporate and guest speaker on Queen and the music business of the 1970s and 1980s.

Propstore is pleased to present Peter Hince's archive of Queen memorabilia at auction for the first time.

The collection comprises 67 lots preserved from his years touring with one of the world's most celebrated rock bands. Many of the items featured in the sale are documented in Queen Uncovered. Each lot is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity co-signed by Hince, and purchasers of orders over £1,000 will receive a signed copy of the book.

Estimate: £3,000 - 6,000 M