Paul McCartney’s Beatles Photos: L.A. Exclusive with Prices to Match!

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At last, after a two-year wait, Los Angeles will soon have the opportunity to see Paul McCartney’s iconic photos from the Beatles’ initial U.S. invasion, which is not quite like visiting the National Portrait Gallery in London, the Brooklyn Museum in New York, or the Portland Art Museum, but still an exciting cultural event for fans of the legendary band.

McCartney’s candid, somewhat blurry yet captivating photos are currently being displayed at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills until June 21st. Unlike previous exhibitions at more formal venues, in Los Angeles, these prints come with price tags, allowing visitors to purchase one for themselves.

McCartney’s candid, wide-eyed, occasionally blurry photos are now on show at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills until June 21st. Unlike earlier exhibitions at more prestigious locations, in Los Angeles, these prints come with a price tag, enabling visitors to buy one if they wish.

Initially, let me provide some background information for those who may not be familiar with McCartney’s world-traveling photographic display.

Around the end of 1963, as the Beatles were preparing for their groundbreaking debut on The Ed Sullivan Show via Pan Am Flight 101, Paul McCartney bought a new camera – a sleek 35mm Pentax SLR. He carried it everywhere and snapped shots of almost everything: the lads messing around on the plane, the Fab Four meandering through Central Park, their excursion to Miami following the Sullivan show.

After that, it seems McCartney had completely forgotten about the photos. They were carefully packed and tucked away… untouched for the following six decades.

Moving on to the time of the pandemic, just like everyone else, Sir Paul delved into his closets. This is when he and his team stumbled upon forgotten contact sheets, negatives, and color slides. The discovery led to the creation of Eye of the Storm, an exhibition that made its debut at London’s National Portrait Gallery in 2023, which was a massive success. Intrigued by this response, McCartney decided to bring the photographs on tour. Apart from Brooklyn and Portland, the show has graced museums in Virginia, Tokyo, and currently, it’s in San Francisco.

Instead of presenting his exhibit in Los Angeles at The Broad, LACMA, or the Annenberg, McCartney opted for a unique approach. He and his team compiled a fresh selection of images from the same timeframe – some of which were previously unseen – renamed the collection as “Rearview Mirror“, and displayed it at Gagosian Gallery. This allowed not only appreciation of the works, but also the opportunity for acquisition by interested parties.

Thirty-six pieces are being exhibited, including individual images and contact sheets with numerous frames. These exclusive collections consist of only six to ten signed copies, each one costing between $15,000 and $85,000, yes, that’s the price for a single photograph.

Consider it as exclusive, high-end merchandise for the wealthy – where a ‘band t-shirt’ is authenticated and beautifully framed instead.

Joshua Chuang, the gallery’s director, clarified, ‘While there’s some similarity with the images from Eye of the Storm, they appear distinct in our exhibition. The main variation lies in the ability to buy these pieces.'”, or

“Joshua Chuang, the gallery director, explained, ‘The images here share some resemblance with those from Eye of the Storm, but they’re unique within our show. A key distinction is that they can be purchased.’

Frankly, if your budget allows for it, why not? Although he’s more renowned for his musical abilities, McCartney surprisingly excels as a photographer too. And he and his Pentax camera were undeniably in the perfect spot at the perfect moment. As Chuang remarks, “This is one of the rare instances where someone of Paul’s cultural influence captured stunning images of the precise moments you’d hope he would be capturing.

During that period, undeniably, the Beatles were among the most frequently photographed individuals globally, which is what makes these particular photos so enlightening. They provide a perspective from Paul’s point of view, offering insights into what the Beatles experienced upon their arrival in America. As Chuang explains, there seems to be an underlying feeling in these photographs that suggests a mutual wonder about the extraordinary events unfolding around them. It appears as though even they found it hard to believe the circumstances.

Here’s another reason to visit the exhibition: These unique pieces might not be available ever again. As Chuang explains, Paul is not intending to pursue a new career in fine art photography. Instead, these are limited editions with only six, eight, or perhaps ten copies being produced, and that’s all there will be.

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2025-05-04 05:25