Famous hair is big business.

Over the years we have sold clippings from the heads of George Washington, Paul McCartney and John Lennon.

So it's no surprise to see a single strand of hair from the head of Elvis Presley sell for £1,055 (approximately $1,750), against an estimate of just £250 ($420).

The older the hair the rarer it tends to be.

These three strands are from the head of author Charles Dickens

They are sold with a photocopy of the letter of authenticity from Georgina Hogarth, Dickens' sister-in-law.

Dickens was very close to Georgina who sided with him during his separation from his wife Catherine (Georgina's sister).

Georgina lived with Dickens from 1842 until his death in 1870.

Impeccable provenance.

For Sale: £1,750 ($2,890) SOLD. Sorry, this item has already been sold. To be the first to receive news alerts for new stock items please sign up for your free newsletter at the top of the page.

(PF72)

Fans of Dickens may also be interested in this fantastic signature.

For further information please email adrianroose@paulfrasercollectibles.com or telephone +44 (0) 117 933 9503