As Beatlemania spread across the globe during the early 1960s, the Beatles found themselves in a whirlwind of flashing cameras and suddenly their faces were everywhere. Until now, however, we have relatively little idea of what the experience was like from their perspective. For the first time, Paul McCartney is showing the public over 250 photographs that he took between November 1963 to February 1964 in a show that has inaugurated the temporary exhibition galleries at the newly renovated National Portrait Gallery.

Most of the photographs are either of McCartney himself or his bandmates John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, and were taken at a time when the Beatles shot to fame in the United States. In one series, they are shown rehearsing for a pivotal TV appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964 that was watched by an audience of 73 million. That same month, frenzied fans are caught on camera chasing the group’s car down West 58th Street in New York and McCartney also recorded a series of personal mementos from a beach holiday in Miami.

“Looking at these photos now, decades after they were taken, I find there’s a sort of innocence about them,” said McCartney in a press statement. “Everything was new to us at this point. But I like to think I wouldn’t take them any differently today. They now bring back so many stories, a flood of special memories, which is one of the many reasons I love them all, and know that they will always fire my imagination.”

Many of the photographs were recently printed for the first time, having been left as negatives in McCartney’s personal archive and only rediscovered by the musician in 2020. Presented alongside McCartney’s own reflections, they offer a fresh behind-the-scenes lens on the famous story of how four young men from Liverpool became global superstars and redefined the meaning of celebrity for the modern era.

“Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm” runs through October 1 before traveling across the pond to the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia, where it will run from December 5, 2023, to April 7, 2024. A book of photographs paired with McCartney’s recollections from the period has also been published by Penguin Press in the U.K. and W.W. Norton in the U.S.

Check out images from the exhibition below.

Paul McCartney, George looking young, handsome and relaxed. Living the life. Miami Beach, February 1964 (1964). Photo: © 1964 Paul McCartney.

A visitor looks at photographs taken by Paul McCartney in Miami. Photo: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Paul McCartney, John and George, Paris. 1964 Photo: © 1964 Paul McCartney.

A visitor looks at photographs taken by Paul McCartney while rehearsing for The Ed Sullivan Show. Photo: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Paul McCartney, Self-portraits in a mirror, Paris, 1964 (1964). Photo: © 1964 Paul McCartney.

“Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm” at the National Portrait Gallery. Photo: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Paul McCartney, Photographers, Central Park, New York, February 1964 (1964). Photo: © 1964 Paul McCartney.

A visitor to the National Portrait Gallery looks at photographs taken by Paul McCartney in Paris, 1963-64. Photo: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

Paul McCartney, The crowds chasing us in A Hard Day’s Night were based on moments like this. Taken out of the back of our car on West Fifty-Eight, crossing the Avenue of the Americas. New York, February 1964 (1964). Photo: © 1964 Paul McCartney.

“Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm” at the National Portrait Gallery. Photo: © National Portrait Gallery, London.

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… the squirrel in the photo above seems to be checking the neighborhood out for possible predators in the area before exposing himself to the unknown and he is ready to bolt in an instant if something were to go wrong. Below we have an Osprey at Lake Pleasant, perched on a tree in the water and he has a beautiful looking catch … he is hoping we will leave so he can settle in for a late morning snack.

Squirrels are food for a great number of predators and typically have a life spam of just over a year in the wild, but they do have a potential life span of about ten years …fifteen or more in captivity. Rabbits are about the same and the reason for the short lifespan of both is that so many creatures like to dine on (not with) them.

Humans fare a little better, but regardless of what continent or nation state, all nations seem to end up with leaders in charge who like to make war on other nations and peoples … and it has always been so … always the young fight the battles and the elders who promote these conflicts benefit … each bullet fired means another has to be manufactured to take its place. I like the natural world, other than survival, no causes!

It was a good day here and a lot of research on the value of various gemstones … been out of the day to day for a longtime and it is good to catch up. More tomorrow and work on the September presentation at Pepperdine University is well underway.

Into the weekend for me and the plan is to be back Monday morning … keep breathing, smile and be kind … spend some time with creatures this weekend and taste the sweetness of the wild.

Cheers,

Ted

Though I know I shall sometime no more open
my eyes to the night or the day,

I am one who looks at the stars when unchained from
the workbench at nightfall.

They are a sign that I am not ephemeral, nor you, nor
you, whoever you are.

The dawn comes and the dark and the sign sparkling
in the brooding night forever and forever.

At Nightfall by Max Ehrmann

###

The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com

In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.

Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses.  By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.

More about Ted Grussing …