Girls Get Signatures of Beatles on photos

Here is a nice newspaper article from 1964 about some girls that gave the Beatles a big stuffed dog in Atlantic City  and almost met them.   They ended up with an autographed photo (or photos).   I wonder how many years went by before they learned that it wasn't the actual Beatles autograph, but someone else on the tour (Neil, Mal or Derek).    Although----maybe just maybe they got the real thing.  

Girls Get Signatures of Beatles on photos

Two Forty Fort teenagers who saved their money to buy a gift for the Beatles are now the proud owners of personally autographed photographs of the English singing group.

The girls acquired the photographs as a result of a confusing series of circumstances which began when they purchased a three-foot tall stuffed dog in Wilkes-Barre when they appeared in Atlantic City.

The story began some time ago when Donna Albertson, 16, and Linda McDonald, 16, devised the scheme of giving the dog to the Beatles--admittedly for the purpose of meeting the English song-belters in person.

After saving enough money, the girls purchased the dog and prevailed upon Mrs. Albertson to drive them to Atlantic City.

On the night of August 30th, the dog was presented to the Beatles---not by the girls, however, but by one of their publicity men who received the gift from the girls at the stage door of the Convention Hall in Atlantic City.

The next day the girls--somewhat dejected by this time, made their way to the 8th floor of the Lafayette hotel in Atlantic City, an area reserved exclusively for the Beatles and their entourage.  Here, while exhibiting a photo of the dog they had presented to the Beatles, they encountered another publicity man who said that the Beatles had the dog and that "they loved it" and wanted to express their thanks to the girls.

Later in the day, the girls were invited again to the 8th floor of the hotel through what Mrs. Albertson described as a "frightening" array of police and security men to meet the Beatles.

The personal meeting failed to materialize, however, and the girls were presented autographed photos, signed in ballpoint pen by the Beatles themselves which state, "To Linda and Donna, love and best wishes, The Beatles."  The photo was signed by Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Mrs. Albertson said that she was informed the girls could have met the Beatles in person if they had been able to stay longer.  She said though, that the girls still consider themselves fortunate in that they had their photograph taken with Fred Paul, one of the Beatles retinue and had penetrated the Beatles lair on the 8th floor, an accomplishment in itself since teenagers were not even allowed in teh hotel if they were not guests there.

Both Linda and Donna are Juniors at the Forty Fort Junior-Senior High School.