the beatles

by 

Richard Avedon

On this day in music history: January 9, 1968 - The new issue of Look Magazine featuring portraits of The Beatles by photographer Richard Avedon arrives on news stands. The issue contains photos of the band taken by the famed photographer at Thompson House, 200 Gray’s Inn Road in London on August 11, 1967. There are two sets of individual portraits of each member taken, one set taken in black and white and given a bluish tint, and the others are colour treated, giving them a psychedelic look. The issue also comes with a large fold out poster of the band posing together. These photographs are among the most famous and often republished images taken of The Beatles. The photos first appear in the UK in The Daily Express newspaper in February of 1968, with a mail in offer to purchase the portraits as a set and as a poster. The images from the fold out poster are used for the 1977 compilation album “Love Songs”. The psychedelic portraits are combined, becoming a best selling poster, and are also used in the packaging and promotional marketing campaign for the “Beatles 1” compilation in 2000.

And of course I knew of no-one who didn't want or get these from the Express although my memory said it was the Observer (sic?) and yet I still have these the four individual prints blew us all away and reflected an art form we aspired to at once recognisable but psychedelic none the less. I think we dashed out to buy the paper irrespective of our political persuasions and merely bought it to get the posters. Really good quality prints and as memory served we sent away for the lot but they were not expensive

American advertising 

American poster stand

Avedon's colour proof sheet