PH9 An Original Rare 1961 Beatles Photograph Autographed By The Beatles, With 2 Beatle Drummers!

Description

The Beatles’ popularity grew steadily in Liverpool throughout the year 1961 due to their many concert performances at the famed Cavern Club, which has been dubbed “the birthplace of The Beatles”. In an effort to capture the essence of the band at that time on film, the newly founded ‘Mersey Beat’ newspaper’s photographer Dick Matthews was onsite for a lunchtime performance by The Beatles on December 8, 1961, and snapped a series of images of the Beatles.

Here is one of those shots, an original (rare and valuable even unsigned) period print of one of the photos taken on that day by the talented Liverpool photographer – who took some of the earliest photographs of The Beatles. This early promotional photograph measures 8 ½” x 6 ½” and features The Beatles clad in their famous leather pants and jackets, with original drummer Pete Best. Best was replaced by Ringo Starr in August of 1962, and very shortly thereafter this photograph was signed on the reverse in black ballpoint pens by the four Beatles – with Ringo Starr now in place of the drummer depicted on the front of the photo. It is that clearly evident that when this photograph was signed by The Beatles, there wasn’t one available to them with the new and current line up, so they used what they at the time.

Adding to the desirability of this autograph set, John Lennon and Paul McCartney have both written “love” before signing, and all four have added “XXX” after their signatures – which is always great to have. Making this photograph an extremely scarce piece of Beatles memorabilia however, is the fact that Pete Best has also signed it, in the upper right hand corner in blue ballpoint pen – which would fit well into the context of this piece because he is of course represented on the front of the photo. This is a later signature (now many decades old) which was obtained by the owner of the photo signed originally by the four Beatles with Ringo. Complete Beatles autograph sets with both drummers are incredibly rare, and this is the only known photograph.

This is one of the earliest sets of Beatles autographs with Ringo, autographed by all right after his induction in to the band – and the fact that Pete Best has also signed, thus creating the only known signed Beatles photograph with both drummers – makes this a one-of-a-kind treasure.