Beatles Collector Uncovers Rare Photo On 50th Anniversary Of The Band’s Breakup
Words by Riley Fitzgerald
Graphic by Press
A British collector has uncovered a rare photo of George Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney performing as the Quarrymen pre-Beatles fame.
The image depicts the three Beatles rehearsing with guitars in Liverpool.
The image was taken in 1959, a year before the band officially changed their name to the Beatles.
Paul Wane came across the photo while rifling through a larger collection of images he had previously purchased.
“Having seen thousands upon thousands of Beatles photos in my career,” Wane recounts to the Evening Standard, “I was amazed to stumble quite randomly upon this shot of the Quarrymen amongst a collection of photos that I bought recently.”
“It’s late 1959,” he continues, “somewhere in Liverpool, and history shines in every dimly-lit detail. Schoolboys Paul McCartney and George Harrison, 17 and 16, are rock and rolling together with art-school student John Lennon, 19.”
Founded by John Lennon, the Quarryman began performing in Liverpool in 1956.
Lennon would recruit Paul McCartney in July 1957, who would, in turn, persuade John to let George Harrison into the group in 1958.
Ringo Starr, absent from the photo, would not joint the band until 1962.
“Within a year of this moment,” Wane adds, “the Quarrymen had become the Beatles, professional musicians playing long hours in Hamburg. Four years from here they’d have attained the inconceivable level of fame and popularity that joyously maintains to this day – out from this Liverpool room and across the universe.”
Wane is unclear on who took the photo in question, though with Beatles relics currently selling at record highs, the value of the image is no doubt not lost upon him.
“There are few Quarrymen photos,” he enthuses, “and a discovery such as this is extremely rare.”
Wane himself runs a Beatles memorabilia organization Tracks LTD.
Wane also shares that any further information as to where and exactly when the photo has taken would be welcome.
Of those depicted in the photo, Paul McCartney, currently 77-years-old, is the only Beatle who remains.
John Lennon was fatally shot on December 8th, 1980.
George Harrison passed away from lung cancer on November 29th, 2001.