The Beatles (George Harrison; John Lennon; Paul McCartney; Ringo Starr)
13 of 75 portraits of George Harrison
The Beatles (George Harrison; John Lennon; Paul McCartney; Ringo Starr)
by Astrid Kirchherr
bromide fibre print, November 1962
15 3/4 in. x 15 3/4 in. (400 mm x 400 mm) image size
Purchased, 2006
Photographs Collection
NPG x128620
On display at Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA
Sittersback to top
- George Harrison (1943-2001), Musician; member of The Beatles. Sitter in 78 portraits. Identify
- John Lennon (1940-1980), Musician; co-founder and singer for The Beatles. Sitter in 90 portraits, Artist or producer of 2 portraits. Identify
- Sir (James) Paul McCartney (1942-), Musician and member of The Beatles and Wings. Sitter in 88 portraits, Artist or producer of 1 portrait. Identify
- Sir Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) (1940-), Musician; drummer for The Beatles. Sitter associated with 71 portraits. Identify
Artistback to top
- Astrid Kirchherr (1938-2020), Photographer. Artist or producer associated with 6 portraits.
This portraitback to top
Brian Epstein commissioned her to take portraits of the band late in 1962 with their new suits and new drummer. Ringo Starr, who had replaced Pete Best as drummer earlier that year, is seen standing slightly apart from the other members in the group.
Linked displays and exhibitionsback to top
- Beatles to Bowie: the 60s exposed (15 October 2009 - 24 January 2010)
- The Beatles on the Balcony (5 July 2006 - 22 October 2006)
Events of 1962back to top
Current affairs
After a series of by-election defeats, the prime minister, Harold MacMillan organises a drastic cabinet reshuffle, dismissing one third of his cabinet. Liberal MP Jeremy Thorpe's wry comment summed up the desperate action: 'greater love hath no man than this, than to lay down his friends for his life.'Britain suffers the 'Big Freeze' with no frost-free nights between 22nd December 1962 and 5th March 1963.
Art and science
The Beatles have their first hit with Love Me Do and release their first album Please Please Me.The new Coventry Cathedral is consecrated and creates a showcase for British artistic talent with the first performance of Benjamin Britten's War Requiem, a wall hanging by Graham Sutherland, stained glass by John Piper, and sculptures by Jacob Epstein and Elizabeth Frink.
International
The world comes to the brink of nuclear war with the Cuban Missile Crisis. In response to the USA's nuclear advantage, the USSR sent missiles to Cuba. The crisis lasted for 12 days before a deal was finally stuck between Khrushchev and Kennedy in which the Cuban missile bases were dismantled in return for the secret removal of US missiles from Turkey.Comments back to top
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See this portrait
On display at Brooklyn Museum, New York, USA