A sketch by John Lennon of The Beatles' landmark Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band cover will be going up for auction next month.
Julien's Auctions said the drawing, which is estimated to sell for $US40,000 to $US60,000 to $US60,000 ($A53,344-$A80,016), will be among a range of rock memorabilia up for bids on May 20 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York.
The sketch shows The Beatles surrounding a drumset with the 1967 album's title on it behind a floral design of the band's name, with an assortment of unidentifiable people around them.
Julien's Auctions told The Associated Press that the sketch was discovered by a former resident of the house in Weybridge, England, where Lennon lived from 1964-68, when he was married to his first wife, Cynthia.
"What we have here is nothing less than one of the most important artefacts in connection with the early development of what is considered by many to be the most important pop and rock album of all time," Perry Cox, author of Official Price Guide to the Beatles and other books, contended in a recent email.
Sgt. Pepper was released in June 1967, nearly 50 years ago, and there is no definitive account of the cover's creation. But until now, no one has suggested that Lennon was involved in the planning stages.
