Sotheby’s auction house Lock of Beethoven’s hair goes under the hammer in London

LONDON · A lock of Ludwig van Beethoven’s hair is being auctioned in London on Tuesday. The Bonn composer is said to have cut the lock himself around 200 years ago.

A lock of hair belonging to Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) is being auctioned in London on Tuesday. The Bonn composer is said to have cut the lock himself almost 200 years ago and given it to his friend Anton Halm, according to Sotheby’s auction house in London. The dark brown and grey wisps of hair could reach a value of £15,000 (nearly 17,000 Euro) according to the information.

“Probably the best story” of all the objects being auctioned in the coming months is behind the lock of hair, said Simon Maguire, director and expert on books and manuscripts at the auction house. Halm is said to have asked the musician for a lock of hair for his wife Maria. He is said to have played a trick on his friend and sent him hair from a goat.

According to Halm, Beethoven denied tricking his friend and blamed others. “You were tricked with this lock of hair!” the composer declared and gave his friend a substantial amount of his real magnificent head of hair.

The two became friends when Halm arranged Beethoven’s piece Große Fuge Op. 133 for two pianos. Before his death in 1872, Halm, a pianist and composer, gave the lock to his pupil Julius Epstein. It remained in the family’s possession after his death.

(Original text: dpa. Translation: kc)

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