Triumph

The Beatles backstage with Chet and the Triumphs.  Chet and the Triumphs was the name of a band that opened for the Beatles on June 10, 1963 in Bath.   These photos along with autographs have been up for auctions several times over the past 20 years.  (click on photo to see in detail)

Images of a woman up for auction again!

It is amazing that this painting is still around!  The painting titled "Images of a woman" that was painted by all four Beatles while they were in the Hilton Hotel in Japan in 1966 is back up for auction!   If you want to bid on it, then you can go here and place your bid.  Or you might just want to be like me and look at the close-up photos of the painting. 

As the story goes, the Beatles were asked what they wanted to do while they were basically trapped in their hotel room while in Tokyo.   Most thought they would like to have some Geisha Girls brought up to the room, but nope....surprisingly enough they wanted some paints and brushes.   And the four guys sat around a table and worked together on a painting.  I don't know about you, but that totally fascinates me.   While John and Paul have always been known for their artistic ways (and now Ringo with his computer graphic art that I really do enjoy), but for all four of them to work together on that painting is just sort of crazy.   And they didn't just work on "Images of a woman."   That was the largest painting they did, but from the photographs you can see that they also worked on some individual smaller paintings.  

Once they were done with the painting, they autographed the center section (where the lamp was sitting in the middle) and gave it to Beatles to fan club chairman Tetsuaburo Shimoyama.  I am unsure what he did with the painting, but it re-surfaced in the mid 1990's and was sold for 15 million Yen to someone in Japan.   It was then seen again on ebay in 2002 and then again in 2005!   Now it is back up for auction and is going to trade hands.  I really hope that some museum gets it this time and puts in on display.  I would love the chance to see this rare footnote in Beatles history in person.

John shows off the finished work Source:  Born-late Blog

Close-up on the autographs in the middle of the painting.   Source:  Current auction

photo:  Robert Whitaker

Photo:  Robert Whitaker

photo:  Robert Whitaker

Photo:  Robert Whitaker

Close up on the paints the Beatles used.  Photo:  Robert Whitaker

Photo:  Robert Whitaker

Photo:  Robert Whitaker

Photo:  Robert Whitaker

You can see the finished painting on the table without the autographs in the center

Fortunately, photographer Robert Whitaker took lots of photos of the Beatles working on the painting.   Beautiful stuff!

Stewardress photos 1966

That Julien's auction that is selling the Pattie Daily photos is also selling this interesting item.  These are photos and autographs that a stewardess obtained during the Beatles 1966 North American tour.  I wish they were larger and better quality, but I don't have the money to buy this item, so this is what we get.   Neat photos!

Heritage auction

The girl who was the local Chicago area Beatles fan club president in 1965 is selling the items she received that year when she saw the Beatles at Cominski Park through Heritage Auctions.   It is a really neat lot of items!   This girl, Beth's father was the owner of the hotel where the Beatles stayed, the O'Hare Sahara Inn, so she was able to get some neat items that were left in their hotel room.   Included in the auction are:  two pillowcases that were used by two of the Beatles, an autographed Help! album (most likely signed by Mal or Neil), Mal and Neil's autographs, photos from BBM (seen here),  fan mail that was left behind, a bubble gum wrapper chain that was left in the hotel room, ticket stub to the Chicago concert.   These items are expected to sell for $1,500 or more.  Wow!

Tom Murry's Paul print for auction

One of the biggest surprises have found with having a Beatles blog is the number of people that contact me. I love hearing from other fans, especially those who have a fun story or photo to share. But I also hear from people who want to help spread the word about a Beatles event. I guess people think this is a popular blog and it a good way to get the word out. If the event has to do with Beatles photos or is something I think is neat, then I will almost always share it. It might not be in the category of Meeting a Beatle for real, but I am happy to spread Beatles news. I am always happy when I can post a photo with permission! And so is the case with the information I received about an upcoming auction for a print of Paul McCartney. You can read about it from the press release. What the press release does not tell you is that the beautiful photo of Paul was taken on July 28, 1968 for the well-known and well-loved "Mad Day Out" photo shoot. This photo was taken in the glass dome that was located in the backyard of Paul's Cavendish home. Paul was wearing his pink suit for most of this photo session, but did remove the pink jacket and was wearing a yellow vest underneath for a few shots (such as this one).

Rock Paper Photo, the largest online gallery of pop culture, fine art photography and Tom Murray, renowned Beatle’s photographer have joined together to donate one of Murray’s highly sought after Beatles prints for the GRAMMY-affiliated MusiCares 22nd annual benefit gala on Friday, February 10, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

The gala will recognize 14-time GRAMMY winner, Paul McCartney, for his creative accomplishments and charitable work and award him as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year.

To mark the occasion, Murray created a one-of-one, 30 x 40 profile print of the legendary Beattle that will be featured during the gala’s silent auction. The print is normally available in a 20 x 24 size and is part of The Mad Day Collection: Summer Of ’68, which includes Murray’s photographs from the Beatles final group publicity shoot during the summer of 1968. From two rolls of film, Murray kept 23 negatives which are considered the most important color photographs of the group from that period of their career. The photos were revealed to the public for the first time in 1996 and have since been exhibited in cities across the US and Europe, including New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London and Stockholm.

Through auctioning or donating his Beatles prints for charities, Murray, has raised nearly $7 million for charities worldwide. All proceeds from the MusiCares silent auction will benefit the MusiCares Foundation, which helps provide critical assistance for music people in times of need.

The MusiCares Annual Benefit Gala is one of the most prestigious events to be held during GRAMMY Week and the celebration culminates with the 54th annual GRAMMY Awards on Sunday, February 12, 2012. Rock Paper Photo is participating in this event in partnership with Waste Management.

Early Beatles snaps

Strange Dutch advertisement

Okay Dutch friends, what does this say? Interesting item, that is for sure!

Radio D.J.

Some great shots of John (and May Pang if you look close enough) leaving a radio studio in September 1974 after John was a guest D.J. John is talking to reporters and meeting some fans on his way out of the studio. Love how John hugs the guy in the Warner Brothers jacket!

Mia's photos

Big thank you goes out to Marcelo, who sent me the link for the auction (which ended last year) that sold these photos. These are amazing photographs! They were taken by Mia Farrow during the time in India in 1968. I especially enjoy the John Lennon photo. He looks so relaxed. Photos like these make me wonder just how many people have taken photos of the Beatles and have them sitting in their personal photo albums.

Glasgow '65

It isn't very often that you can find photos taken during the Beatles 1965 Tour. Our good friend at the WogBlog posted a link to this awesome auction that is selling photos that were taken on Dec 3, 1965 in Glasgow at a press conference. Most of the photos that have previously been seen from this press conference show Paul wearing a really long tie and John blowing his nose on it. These photos are a little more on the serious side.

Heritage Auctions

The Heritage Fall Auction is currently going on. They have a few interesting items but what caught my eye the most was the items that belonged to Susan Sky. Susan worked for the NYC Beatles fan club and has an amazing story about her time there! She got to meet the Beatles in 1965 (where John cheated in a Scrabble game! LOL!) and again in '66. She is auctioning off her photographs, autographs and other memorabilia. She also wrote up a very charming story about her time working at the Beatles fan club. What a fun job that must have been!

John snaps Sean

Here is another one of those Rock n roll auction photos. This is a poloroid photo of Sean taken by John. Very cute! This lot also includes a bunch of photos of Aunt Mimi, including the one that I once had posted on this blog, but was asked a few days ago to remove by the original photographer. I can't help but wonder if this auction was the reason why it was asked to be removed after being on this blog for a year...hmmmm.....

Snap-shots from 1965

These are some "new" snapshots from 1965 that are currently up for auction.

Meeting the Beatles during the filming of Help

.Also from this auction comes a set of seven black and white photographs, a full set of Beatles autographs along with the autographs of Mal Evans and Eleanor Bron from the filming of the Help! movie. A fan named Gwyn Nichols had the opportunity to meet the Fabs while they were filming the "tank scene" at Salisbury Plain for the movie. She actually met them once and then came back several times afterwards and took some photos and hung around the set. Unfortunately the auction site does not provide close ups, but I was able to look at the write up Gwyn Nichols wrote for the auction and typed it up here for you to read.

Excitement! 1965. The Beatles had arrived!

It's the first day of filming on Salisbury Plain. Help!

Still in school uniform - straight to the film set, but disappointment. It had begun to rain.

The Beatles passed in their cars on the way back to their caravan. Quick, if we run we might catch a glimpse. Too late. We're standing in the rain, our hope now to capture some precious autographs.

Yes! God was smiling on us. Out came their "Road manager" Mal Evans with an invitation. So we entered their caravan, dripping wet. Words failed us. We are here squashed into the caravan with the Beatles!

I was facing John - he shook my hand. I promise never to wash it again. He sings my sheet of paper first. Next is Ringo, hence John name being upside down as the pad is turned around when passed on. The George who is sat next to Paul and behind me. Finally Paul sings -- pure joy. Now I have got to keep this sheet as dry as I can. The beginning of a week of excitement.

Day on Salisbury Plain, never to be forgotten and the Beatles only feet away.

We returned another day but were not able to talk to the Beatles. We did get to sit in the "bunker" talking to Elenor Bron and watching the filming of the Tank Scene. The Beatles running and leaping around before our eyes and I managed to take a few snaps of the day.

I would guess that account was taken right out of Gwyn's diary from after it happened. Reuters interviewed her recently and here is what she said. She added some more information about meeting the guys.

LONDON (Reuters) - Seven black-and-white photographs of the Beatles sitting on a grassy field, taken by a teenage girl on the last day of filming for their movie Help!, will be sold next week, the auctioneer said.

Gwyn Blanchard, then a 13-year-old student, trudged half an hour in the rain with a group of friends to the set of the Fab Four's second film, hoping for an autograph, but wound up being invited for a chat with her idols.

"We knew that the filming was going to happen that day. Being kids, we hatched a plan," said Blanchard, who lived near the site.

In Help!, released in 1965, the Beatles try to escape the clutches of a mysterious cult. The soundtrack includes some of the group's biggest hits, including "Ticket to Ride."

As the teenagers were walking toward the set, the Beatles drove by in their car and then went into their trailer. Blanchard and her friends decided to stand outside, and she said that for a moment, she doubted she would get her signature.

"We were just hoping that if we passed over our notebooks... just our English notebooks from school. We had them out, ready to hand them over when the door opened, and the manager said 'come get them yourselves'."

"John Lennon was sitting down in front of me," Blanchard told Reuters in a telephone interview. "I handed him my notebook first. He handed it then to Ringo and the pen wouldn't work!"
"John was the chattiest. They were joking and laughing."

Several days later she returned to the set, when the Beatles were filming the scene in which they play beside some tanks. Blanchard snapped some photographs as the band-members relaxed between takes.

"It was only a little black plastic Kodak that I had. We were actually quite close."

Blanchard said she had kept the photos and signatures in a box for several decades, but had decided to sell them.

Cameo Auctioneers, which will hold the sale November 10, said the photos, accompanied by the autographs on notebook paper, could fetch 2-3,000 pounds ($3,300-$4,950).