Unseen photos of The Beatles go on display

www.yourcanterbury.co.uk

Previously unseen photos of The Beatles go on display

Chris Murphy 
Saturday, February 4, 2012 

One of Britain’s best known photographers has rediscovered some historic shots of The Beatles in action – and after an exhibition in Kent, they will be on sale for around £2,000 each.

The series of five newly discovered photographs of John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were taken a staggering 48 years ago by Faversham’s John Farrier, who is due to photograph US president Barack Obama soon.

He was raking through old negatives of AGFA film and was stunned at what he’d found.

The pictures were taken at the Odeon Cinema in Lewisham during a live concert in December, 1963. They were developed with the help of some modern day imaging technology and readied for display.

All five 20ins x 16ins Gelatin Silver black and white photographs will be on show for three weeks only at the Lilford Gallery, Palace Street, Canterbury, from February 11-March 3.

They are sure to generate interest among Beatles fans, and the gallery boss David Lilford said they will one sale for about £2,000 each.

Mr Farrier said: “I was going through my extensive archives of political and celebrity photographs I have taken over the past 20 years and came across a small battered negative box and found inside a number of scratched negatives that were taken on my father’s AGFA camera when I was around 16 years old at a Beatles concert that he had taken me to in Lewisham, south east London.

“Once I found out what they were, I sent them to my print master in London to investigate the possibilities for reproduction to large format prints.

“Sadly, the negative image of Ringo Starr was too damaged to reproduce a print. After a bit of current technology thrown into the process on the rest - the enlarged prints were ready to view.

“I was delighted with the atmosphere that came from the prints - just electrifying - then the memories came flooding back of the screaming and hysterical madness lifting everyone off their seats at the concert.

“I Saw Her Standing There was beginning to ring in my ears - my favourite number of that night.

“The rich sound of John Lennon’s Richenbacker guitar – the harmonica on From Me To You and the erupting mayhem from the audience on their final number – Twist And Shout. A night of fab memories.

“To complete the unique collection, a separate photograph taken some years later of The Beatles’ record producer, George Martin has also been included at the Lilford Gallery. This never been seen before photograph was taken at Air Studios, with George at the recording console - a truly memorable occasion.”

Mr Farrier is currently working on a series of exhibitions of his political photographs called Voices from Westminster taken during the Margaret Thatcher era. There is also an exhibition planned in London of his celebrity shots including pictures of Sir Cliff Richard, Sir Tom Stoppard, Roald Dahl, Sir Jimmy Savile, Ernie Wise, Terry Wogan and Hardy Amies.

The Beatles at the Odeon Cinema, Lewisham, in December, 1963