John Lennon and Yoko Ono, original Questionnaire Bed-In Amsterdam 1969

Typed and handwritten text on paper collage, 29.5 x 21 cm, framed 36.5 x 29.5 cm. Original questionnaire filled out by John Lennon and Yoko Ono during their famous Bed-In at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel in 1969. On 28 March 1969, the fifth day of the Bed-In, the couple was handed this sheet by Emmy Ledel-Huf, on behalf of her friend Ineke Jungschleger, who had a column in the weekly radio and television magazine KRO Studio. The questions were configured after the so called 'Proust Questionnaire', a simple interview format intended to get personal confessions, based on a nineteenth century parlour game and popularized by the French writer Marcel Proust. Unique sheet with regular paper toning, in very good condition.

The questionnaire is filled out by both John and Yoko in blue pen, including their birthdates and both signed with their names. Lennon added a small drawing and the text 'Yoko + John = Bagism'. Lennon's answers to almost all questions are 'Yoko', Yoko's answers are mainly 'John', some with exclamation marks 'John (!!)'. An exception was made to the first question 'What is the utmost misery for you?', both John and Yoko answer 'Jealousy'. The questionnaire was published in KRO Studio magazine two weeks after the Bed-In. The original copy in this lot derives from Dutch publisher Jaco Groot, who was the first to publish all the words of the Beatles songs in the 1960s. He also advised the journalist Ineke Jungschleger to use the Proust Questionnaire format for her columns, with successful outcome. Ref: In bed met John en Yoko, Nijgh & Van Ditmar 2009, p.113.