Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney (80) has published hundreds of private photos in a new illustrated book for the first time, which were taken in 1963 and 1964, while the worldwide cult of the Beatles broke out.
The book “1964: Eyes of the Storm – Photographs and Reflections” contains 275 photographs that the music legend captured with a 35mm camera at the time. In addition, the 80-year-old describes in detail this formative time in his life, in which, according to McCartney, “all hell broke loose”.
Many previously unknown portraits
The photos offer McCartney’s personal perspective of this dynamic time as the Beatles witnessed cultural change in Britain and around the world in what he calls the center, the “eyes of the storm”. “I thought of ‘eye of the storm’, in the singular, because the Beatles were in the eye of a storm they created themselves,” McCartney said of the publication, “but when we looked at the pictures, I thought there were quite a few eyes than one.”
The photos are from six cities the Beatles toured during this eventful time: Liverpool, London, Paris, New York, Washington D.C. and Miami. Many pictures were taken behind the scenes. There are also many previously unknown portraits of band members John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Rediscovering the pictures, which “were almost like family snapshots”, was “touching”, reported the ex-Beatle, who said he was surprised by the good quality of the photos.
“Pictures have historical value”
The recordings come from an inventory of 1000 photos that McCartney rediscovered in his archive in 2020. “I remembered it from back then, but of course actually having her back in front of me was different,” said Sir Paul. “It was wonderful because it took me right back in time and to different people – the other Beatles, our manager Brian Epstein and other people who were a part of my life at the time.”
The photographs will also be featured in an exhibition entitled 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm at the National Portrait Gallery in London. Nevertheless, Paul McCartney was modest about his photographic talent. “I think the pictures have historical value above all,” he said, “so I don’t claim to be considered an accomplished photographer.”
