Unseen photographs, taken by Paul McCartney at the height of Beatlemania, revealed ahead of a major exhibition.
More than 250 photographs from Paul McCartney’s personal archive will be displayed for the first time as part of a major exhibition, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm (28 June – 1 October 2023) to mark the National Portrait Gallery’s reopening in June.
Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, the exhibition will shine a light on the portraits captured by McCartney using his own camera between November 1963 and February 1964, the period in which John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were propelled from being the most popular band in Britain to an international cultural phenomenon. These never-before-seen images offer a uniquely personal perspective on what it was like to be a ‘Beatle’ at the start of ‘Beatlemania’ – adjusting from playing gigs on Liverpool stages, to performing to 73 million Americans on The Ed Sullivan Show. At a time when so many camera lenses were on the band, it is Paul McCartney’s which tells the truest story of a band through the lens of his own Pentax camera. Described by McCartney in his own words as the “eyes of the storm,”.
Thanks to support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, a free digital guide on the Bloomberg Connects app will also launch when the exhibition opens on 28 June, making the National Portrait Gallery accessible for both visitors to the building and those exploring the exhibition online. An accompanying book of photographs and reflections by Paul McCartney, 1964: Eyes of the Storm will be published on 13 June.
Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm - 28 June – 1 October 2023
Tickets £22/ members free
Further Information: Home - National Portrait Gallery (npg.org.uk)