High in the clouds with Paul

Grab a Coke and a smile

Hurricane Dora welcomes The Beatles to Jacksonville

Key West

Blurry Photos

All photos taken by and copyright by Kay MacLeod Davidson (used with permission)

Katy wrote:  54 years ago yesterday, August 20th, 1965, I made my way into a Beatles press conference in Chicago and I got to ask George Harrison a question. I asked him, "Is it true you have a nightclub in London called 'Sybilla' "? He said to me, " It's not my nightclub really, I just invested some money in it". It was a day out of heaven for this 14-year-old girl's life. It took months of planning. Then, right after was the incredible concert. I love my blurry pictures......

Greek Holliday

Stripes on Ringo

With Stripes on their sweaters

The arrival

It always throws me when the Beatles arrive and there aren't a bunch of people crowding around the plane to see them.   Why only the one photographer and one police?

Touring in '65

Toronto photo shoot

1965 tour

Off center but great

The striped shirt

Press conference in Portland

Flying with the Ronnettes

I am not sure if these photos were taken on the way to Candlestick Park or afterwards (my guess is before), but I didn't share them yesterday---so why not today?

Catering for Doodles

The catering for the Candlestick Park show was by Simpson's catering.     I purchased two blurry photographs of the Beatles backstage eating their meal from the daughter of the caterer.    I believe these photos might have been hanging up in the shop.  There are no surviving negatives and these are the only known copies.  

Photo copyright held by Sara Schmidt (do not copy)

Photo copyright held by Sara Schmidt (do not copy)

Here is another photo where you can see what the guys had to eat.  I am pretty sure Paul is posing with the Simpson catering folks.

Much was said about the Beatles doodling on the tablecloth with pens that were given to them by fans.   The newspaper even wrote about it.   Simpson's displayed the autographed table cloth that was full of Beatle doodles and low and behold, it was stolen shortly after they were on displayed.   Here are some photos of the guys doodling.

Beatles:  Case of Missing Doodles

A white linen tablecloth enhanced by Beatle doodles was stolen yesterday from the display window of Simpson’s catering service.  The theft of the priceless relic was discovered by Simpson’s co-owner Joe Vilardi, at about 10 a.m.  Vilardi said another employee had observed the cloth resting peacefully  in the window as late as 8:30a.m.  But when Vilardi appeared at the 926 Clement street office to “check on some phone calls,” the big 12-foot-wide window had been shattered and the linen purloined.

Simpson’s obtained the table cloth on the night of the Beatles’ appearance at Candlestick Park August 29. It was the same cloth on which the four Englishmen devoured prime rib of roast beef, Yorkshire pudding, stuffed baked potato, salad, relish and French pastry. 

Sprinkled among the gravy stains and pudding droppings were doodles of almost psychedelic persuasion, drawn by Beatles in a moment of contemplation before their concert in the infield.

John Lennon, according to Vilardi, had sketched “an interesting sort of Japanese sunset in yellow crayon.”  Paul McCartney had drawn faces in the abstract.  There were other less impressive drawings on the cloth – presumably the work of other Beatles and, perhaps, of their dinner gust, folk singer-pacifist, Joan Baez.

Simpson’s first had the great Britons autograph their creation, then the caterers whisked the table cloth back to headquarters, where, for the past six days, it has served as an invaluable lure.  Crowds of young and old alike have flocked to the store, Vilardi said.  “Some of those excited little gals wanted to touch it or take pictures,” his co-owner said.  But there were no threats of theft.  

Although the cloth was not for sale, Vilardi said he received offers for it ranging as high as $300.   Simpson’s had been warned by “the cop on the beat” that the sight of such an invaluable property behind glass might  prove too tempting for some fanatic.  But said Vilardi, “I never gave it any serious thought.”  He realizes now that he underestimated the value of his merchandise.  “I can readily see that somebody wanted it rather badly,” Vilardi said weakly yesterday.  “Imagine taking it in broad daylight.”  

Backstage with the lads at Candlestick Park

One of the last of the tour....

This is a beautiful item and such a rarity!    A stewardess, who traveled with the Beatles from L.A. to San Francisco took some snaps of the guys on the plane and was lucky enough to have all four of them sign a 1966 tour program.   I have not seen very many autographed items from the 1966 tour.   If you want to buy it for me,  it costs $32,000  here.