Beatlemania Through The Lens Of Paul McCartney Is The Focus Of A New Photo Exhibit

It seems more than appropriate that a new exhibition of photographs circa 1963-1964 from the archives of Paul McCartney is on display at New York City’s Brooklyn Museum. After all, the Big Apple was where the Beatles memorably performed on The Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964–a moment that launched Beatlemania in the U.S. and changed pop culture forever.

The exhibit, titled Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm (which opens to the public on Friday), features over 250 black-and-white and color photographs covering the Beatles’ already-established popularity in Britain and their first visit to the U.S. Amid the craziness of screaming fans and swarm of photographers the Beatles experienced, McCartney, had the foresight to document what was happening with his Pentax camera.

Decades later, those images he took were rediscovered and first shown at London’s National Portrait Gallery prior to this current stop in Brooklyn. “The photographs remind me of an England that was more my parents’ generation than my own; of the early concerts and those original fans; of Beatlemania, a true English invention; and of a London that in 1963 spoke of promise and ambition and everything new to four young men from the North,” McCartney said, as quoted in the new exhibition.

Accompanied by memorabilia and archival footage of the Beatles’ press conference at New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport in February 1964 and the legendary Ed Sullivan appearance, McCartney’s photographs offer a first-hand glimpse of a band conquering the hearts and minds of a nation. There are candid images he took of his bandmates John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr that reveal an intimate and unguarded (as well at times goofy and funny) side of the band away from the glare of the media spotlight.

“When I look back I think, wow, we did that and we’re just kids from Liverpool,” said McCartney as quoted from the exhibit. “And here it is in these photographs. Boy, how great does John look? How handsome is George and how cool is Ringo, wearing his funny French hat?

But it wasn’t just John, George and Ringo and other Beatles associates (among them producer George Martin, manager Brian Epstein, and Lennon’s first wife Cynthia) whom McCartney photographed. As the band was performing and traveling, McCartney snapped such scenes as people running on New York’s Avenue of the Americas, reminiscent of the band being chased in the film A Hard Day’s Night; photographers congregating in Central Park; and spectators welcoming the band at Miami Airport.

Other non-Beatles-related images featured in the exhibit include people crossing a snow-slushed street in Washington, D.C., and a close-up of a Miami police officer’s gun in his holster–scenes that may be ordinary to us but fascinating to McCartney as a first-time visitor to America (He could arguably be considered rock’s first photojournalist).

The exhibit concludes with color images of the Beatles and their associates relaxing in Miami Beach and having fun by the pool. They depict a relaxed change of pace (at least temporarily) for the Beatles following the frenetic pace of performances, media appearances and fan hysteria as the group would later return to the States in August 1964 for their North American tour.

In a press statement, Catherine Futter, the Brooklyn Museum’s director of curatorial affairs and senior curator of decorative arts, said: “Since first arriving in NewYork in February 1964, Paul McCartney has built a strong, everlasting connection to the city. His vibrant photographs from The Beatles’ first visit capture the energy of the city, the excitement of the American fans, and the frenzy of the band’s status as celebrities. Yet the images also record The Beatles’ fun and delight with each other.ThroughMcCartney’s lens, we feel the intensity of being at the center of such extraordinary events,”

Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm is now on view at the Brooklyn Museum in Brooklyn, New York, through Aug. 18. For information, visit www.brooklynmuseum.org.