A scrapbook containing unseen photographs of Elvis Presley during his military service in Germany, compiled by an English teenager who was working as a hotel chambermaid, has been discovered.
The girl, known only as Frances, made the album dedicated to the King when she was working in Bad Nauheim, where Elvis spent most of his two years’ national service.
It contains 15 photos – six of which are signed – of the rock and roll singer in his army uniform, including one with Frances, and is now being sold after lying forgotten in a drawer for years.
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A scrapbook belonging to an English teenager, known only as Frances (pictured), containing unseen photos of Elvis Presley from his military service in Germany has been discovered after lying forgotten in a drawer for years
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The scrapbook’s owner compiled the album dedicated to the ‘King’ while she was working as a chambermaid in a hotel in Bad Nauheim, where Elvis spent most of his two years’ national service
It also has a stash of press and magazine cuttings relating to Elvis from publications of the time.
The owner of the album spent one summer in the town, where she was the only English girl, before returning to the UK.
An auctioneer recently stumbled upon it while carrying out a valuation of items at her house on Guernsey. It is expected to sell for £3,500 when it is sold by Channel Islands Auctions in St Peter Port on the island.
Concerned that his time in Germany would have a negative impact on his career, Elvis ensured his record company continued to release songs during his national service and he had ten top 40 hits while he was in the army.
The star’s time in Germany affected more than just his music. In September 1958 Elvis was introduced to 14-year-old Priscilla Beaulieu, whose step-father was also based in Germany with the air force, during a party at his home.
He took an instant liking to her and the pair were practically inseparable during the rest of his time in Germany. They stayed in touch when he went back to America and Priscilla visited him in 1962 before moving to Graceland in 1963 and marrying him in 1967.
During his time in Germany he also became dependent on the stimulants and barbiturates that later contributed to his death at the age of 42 in 1977.
Elvis Presley is drafted into the US Army in 1958
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The album contains 15 photos, six of which are signed, of the singer in his army uniform, giving autographs and posing with fans
Elvis began national service in March 1958, at the age of 23, and was assigned to the 3rd Armoured Division in Friedberg, West Germany.
He was stationed in Bad Nauheim from September 1958 until March 1960, where his father Vernon, grandmother Minnie Mae and two of his friends and bodyguards lived in a five-bedroom house.
Fans congregated outside his residence to watch as Elvis went to manoeuvres and a sign was put up stating autographs would be given between 7.30pm and 8pm.
Norman Wilkinson, from Channel Islands Auctions, which is selling the lot on Saturday, said: ‘The owner had been in Bad Nauheim on a school exchange visit and liked the place so much she decided to return the following year and work as a chambermaid for the summer holidays in 1959.
‘She was 18 at the time and a big Elvis fan, like every teenage girl was.
‘Having a well-known pop star in the army staying in the town was a big deal. Elvis was the centre of attention.
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The singer’s record company continued to release songs during his national service – during his time in the army Elvis, pictured in his stylish civilian clothes, had ten top 40 hits
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Fans would congregate outside Elvis’ house to watch as he went to the base and get autographs in the evenings between 7.30pm and 8pm
‘The young German lads were quite enterprising and used to take photos of him and sell them to people.
‘It was quite early on for cameras then and not everyone could afford them.
‘The seller bought some of these photos, there’s even one of her with Elvis, and six of them are signed on the back.
‘They’re not professional photos but some of them are one offs and have never been seen before.
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The scrapbook of Elvis, pictured with the compiler’s father, is being sold after it was found by an auctioneer during a routine evaluation for a house sale in the Channel Islands
‘The remarkable thing is it has just been lying in a drawer for years. The lady knew she had it but she’d forgotten all about it.
‘The scrapbook was just stuffed in a drawer in her lounge amongst other old papers and I found it as part of a routine evaluation. She hadn’t looked at it for years.
‘She’s had her enjoyment from it and wants to sell it now so someone else can cherish it.
‘Elvis died when he was only 42 and there’s only a certain amount of material out there – a lot of it is hard to come by now so something like this is bound to attract interest.’
Tourist still flock to Bad Nauheim to visit the spots associated with the icon and the town has held a European Elvis Festival every year since 2002 and the square in front of the Grunewald hotel in now called Elvis Presley Platz and has a memorial to the star.
