Lennon's glasses go on display in Liverpool

A pair of round spectacles worn by Beatles legend John Lennon were due to be unveiled in his home city today.

The orange-tinted spectacles, valued at more than £1m, were worn by the musician between 1970 and 1973 and became part of his trademark image.

The glasses, which Lennon wore when he wrote the album Imagine, have now been suspended in a glass case at The Beatles Story museum on Liverpool's Albert Dock.

Museum bosses have also created a giant replica of the spectacles through which visitors see images of events which influenced Lennon, including the Vietnam War and the peace movement.

The images fade and finally show Lennon's last day alive before the screens cut to darkness and a radio news bulletin announces his death.

Mike Byrne, director of The Beatles Story, said: "You can't get much closer to the real John Lennon than seeing life through the very spectacles he wore to create some of his most memorable music."

It is said Lennon chose the orange tint as he believed the Feng Shui teaching that it is the best shade for inspiration.

The tint originally became darker in strong light but after several years the photochromatic chemical within the glass lost its effectiveness and the shade now remains constant.

The exhibit was due to be previewed today and will be open to the public from Thursday July 18.

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