FAB 4 COLLECTIBLES IS EXTREMELY HONORED TO OFFER THIS MAgnificent and very special complete set of all four Beatles signatures on the front PHOTO SIDE OF a SEPTEMBER 1963 UK Official Beatles Fan Club Promotional Photo CARD. measuring 5½" X 4¼", IT features THE fabulous black and white Dezo Hoffmann shot from that infamous JULY 1963 photo session.

the photo card was AUTOGRAPHED ON MONDAY AUGUST 24, 1964 for charles hillinger, the roving feature writer and columnist for the los angeles times, who traversed the highways and byways of california, america and beyond in pursuit of colorful characters and human interest stories. mr. hillinger, who passed away in 2008, began his career at the times in 1946 in the editorial library and soon became a general-assignment reporter. he eventually began focusing on feature writing, and wrote nearly 6,000 human-interest stories before retiring from the paper in 1992. HIS FEATURE STORIES AND THE 1985-91 COLUMN "CHARLES HILLINGER'S AMERICA" WERE DISTRIBUTED BY THE LOS ANGELES TIMES-WASHINGTON POST NEWS SERVICE TO MORE THAN 600 NEWSPAPERS.

AS A TIMES REPORTER, MR. HILLINGER HAD HIS SHARE OF INTERESTING ASSIGNMENTS, INCLUDING THAT OF THE BEING THE ONLY REPORTER, EXCLUSIVELY  COVERING THE BEATLES DURING THEIR NORTH AMERICAN SUMMER TOUR AND VISIT TO LOS ANGELES IN AUGUST 1964, WHEN THE GROUP PERFORMED AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL ON SUNDAY THE 23RD. HE HAD SOLE ACCESS TO THE BEATLES, PROVIDING A BEHIND-THE -SCENES REPORT AS THE BAND RELAXED IN THEIR BEL-AIR HIDEAWAY, WHERE THEY SWAM AND PLAYED COWBOYS WITH TOY PISTOLS SENT OVER BY ELVIS PRESLEY.
 
THE FOUR SIGNATURES, IN BLACK BALLPOINT PEN are stellar, EXECUTED sharply BY THE BEATLES ON THE PHOTO SIDE OF THE FAN CLUB CARD, which REMAINS IN Beautiful NEAR MINT CONDITION. THE BEATLES' SIGNATURES DISPLAY CRISPLY and boldly near or upon EACH OF THEIR RESPECTIVE IMAGE. The reverse of the Promotional Fan Club photo IS EQUALLY IN near mint CONDITION AND displays the Official Fan Club logo, together with the London Beatles Fan Club address:

According to FRANK CAIAZZO, the world's most respected Beatles Autograph expert :
"Cards containing photographs of The Beatles which were made by NEMS Enterprises, Parlophone Records or The Beatles themselves were often signed by the four members of the group and given away in small quantities. Now they are extremely rare and very desirable, as few have actually survived intact. In September of 1963, The Official Beatles Fan Club produced a new photo card which contained one of the classic Dezo Hoffmann "seated collarless suit poses" from their July photo session. The vast majority of these cards were signed by the fan club secretaries and sent through the mail to members. The Beatles road manager Neil Aspinall signed a good number of these cards while the band was on tour in late 1963 and throughout 1964. However, some cards have turned up which have been authentically signed by John, Paul George and Ringo - but they are quite rare. That was the last promo card issued. Signed promotional photo cards are indeed rare and desirable and are certainly appreciating nicely, as are all authentic signed Beatles pieces."

ACCOMPANIED BY LIFETIME LETTER OF AUTHENTICITY FROM FRANK CAIAZZO:

ALSO INCLUDED is an array of fascinating and pertinent PROVENANCE items that correlate AND SUBSTANTIATE mr. hillinger's time spent with the beatles :

1. AN EXTREMELY DETAILED LETTER OF PROVENANCE FROM BRAD HILLINGER, THE SON OF CHARLES:

2. THE ORIGINAL GLOSSY 11" X 14" LOS ANGELES TIMES WIRE PHOTO OF THE BEATLES IN FRONT OF THEIR BEL-AIR HIDE-AWAY MANSION, TAKEN BY TIMES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER LARRY SHARKEY, WHO ACCOMPANIED MR. HILLINGER DURING HIS INTERVIEWS WITH THE BAND. HIS STAMP AND THE DAY (25TH) THE PHOTO WAS PRINTED IS EVIDENT ON THE BACK OF THE PHOTO. (the photo is slipped into a mylar sleeve):

3. THE BUSINESS CARD OF JACK H. HOOPER, THE BEL-AIR PATROLMAN WHO GAVE THE LEAD TO MR. HILLINGER TO WHERE THE BEATLES WERE STAYING:

4. COPIES OF THE BEATLES' ARTICLES WRITTEN BY MR. HILLINGER THAT APPEARED IN THE LOS ANGELES TIMES, AUGUST 25 - 27, 1964, AND ONE FROM THE PALOS VERDES NEWS FROM SEPTEMBER 2.

5. AN AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF MR. HILLINGER'S BOOK, "CALIFORNIA CHARACTERS - AN ARRAY OF AMAZING PEOPLE" (CAPRA PRESS, PUBLISHED 2000). MR. HILLINGER AND RINGO STARR ARE PICTURED ON THE BACK COVER: