Paul McCartney’s Beatlemania-Era Photographs Head to New York City

Amid Beatlemania in America, from 1963 through 1964, Paul McCartney was photographing everything he could behind his Pentax 35 mm camera. His collection of images, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm, has been on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England, and is on its way to New York City to the Brooklyn Museum where they will be on display beginning May 3, 2024.

The exhibit will feature more than 250 of McCartney’s photographs from his archives capturing The Beatles during one of the most historic musical moments in time.

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“Since first arriving in New York in February 1964, Paul McCartney has built a strong, everlasting connection to the city,” said Catherine Futter, director of curatorial affairs and senior curator of decorative arts at Brooklyn Museum in a statement. “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.”

Futter added, “Through McCartney’s lens, we feel the intensity of being at the center of such extraordinary events.”

The Eyes of the Storm exhibit also chronicles a longer timeline of The Beatles’ earlier beginnings with photographs of the band playing concert halls in Liverpool and London and the start of their touring internationally, first to Paris and then to the United States. The collection also holds intimate images of McCartney’s bandmates John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr at the brink of stardom.

Once in America, The Beatles enraptured an entire generation, which is evident in many of McCartney’s images of paparazzi and fan frenzy. When the band arrived in New York City, they made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was viewed by nearly 73 million people.

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McCartney’s photography also expanded into more portraiture, landscape, and documentary-style photographs. In 2023, McCartney also released a more expansive collection of his images in the book 1964: Eyes of the Storm.

“Millions of eyes were suddenly upon us,” said McCartney, “creating a picture I will never forget for the rest of my life.”

Photo: Courtesy of Paul McCartney / Nasty Little Man