Lennon's iconic white suit sold for $46K

LONDON, Jan. 4 (UPI) -- The suit late rock 'n' roll star John Lennon donned for the Beatles' iconic "Abbey Road" album cover sold for $46,000 at auction, Britain's Daily Mail said.

The white ensemble, made in Paris in 1969 by designer Ted Lapidus, was sold at the Braswell Galleries' annual New Year's Day Auction in Connecticut Saturday.

An online bidder who wished to remain anonymous purchased the suit, which had been expected to sell for more than $116,000 when it hit the block, the Mail said Monday.

"The 'Abbey Road' image is one of the most unforgettable album covers of all time and the famous shot for the final Beatles album took on a life of its own," the Galleries' Web site said. "The suit figured prominently, suggesting the cover shot was symbolic of Paul (McCartney's satirical) funeral procession with John dressed in white represented the clergy.

Conspiracies aside, it would be difficult to overestimate the impact Ian McMullen's famed shot of the four musicians crossing the zebra cross walk has had on countless Beatles fans. Forty years after first being published, the familiar image is so indelibly imprinted on the public imagination it serves as the catalyst for thousands of multi-generational Beatles fans to make the pilgrimage to the famed spot and pay homage."

Last month, Lennon's family and admirers marked the 30th anniversary of his slaying in New York.

The peace activist and musician was 40 when he was shot down outside his Manhattan apartment building by a deranged fan who remains in prison.