McCartney Times

When photographer David Magnus was sent to take shots of an up-and-coming band playing a school event in northern England in 1963, little did he suspect it would lead to bicoastal art shows in the U.S. 54 years later.“In the very beginning no one had any idea how important The Beatles would be to the world of music,” said Magnus, whose upcoming “All You Need is Love” exhibition at the Morrison Hotel Galleries in SoHo and Los Angeles features photos never before seen in the U.S.He and the band hit it off, “and they liked my style of photography,” said Magnus, who was a mere 19-year-old at the time, and as a result “between 1963 and 1967 I photographed them on many occasions, both in the UK and overseas.”

The focus of the exhibit is images from Magnus’ last shoot with the band, when he was invited in 1967 to document a BBC broadcast of a live performance/recording of “All You Need Is Love,” at Abbey Road Studios in London. The exhibit celebrates the 50th anniversary of the event, which was the first live satellite television broadcast in history, watched by an estimated global audience of 400 million.

The images include perhaps the last photos ever taken of the band with manager Brian Epstein — who died of a drug overdose several weeks later.

Magnus’ favorite, though, is a quiet shot of the four musicians sitting around a table drinking tea in the studio canteen — which shows “the true Beatles,” says Magnus, who went on to shoot bands including the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys and the Byrds. “For despite all the fame, adulation and worldwide success, the photograph shows four mates enjoying each other’s company.”

Source: Beatles photos never before shown in U.S. featured in NYC exhibit – NY Daily News