Inside the Brooklyn Museum’s new Paul McCartney photo exhibit
It's the Beatles in Brooklyn. Well, sort of.
PROSPECT HEIGHTS — His name is synonymous with being a member of arguably one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll bands of all time — and now, it’s linked to photography as well.
Sir Paul McCartney’s “Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm,” an exhibit on display at the Brooklyn Museum (through Aug. 18), features more than 250 of The Beatles founding member’s photos — taken with his Pentax 35mm film camera — and recently rediscovered in his archives. The images are displayed alongside video clips and archival material.
Most of the photographs have never been made into prints — existing as negatives and contact sheets for 60 years until now.
With these images, visitors can witness the dawn of the “British Invasion” that fundamentally transformed rock ‘n’ roll music and American society.
Illuminating both the historical and personal moments McCartney and his bandmates experienced together, the photographs track his time with the band, moving from their home city of Liverpool, to the capital cities of London and Paris, and culminating in their debut in the U.S., which took place in New York, Washington, D.C., and Miami.
McCartney’s photos reveal the intensity of touring, and the long days spent in rehearsal, in hotels, and on the road — being followed by the media and groupies at every stage.
They depict different environments The Beatles experienced, such as driving through streets with screaming fans, as well as personal encounters with press photographers.
When The Beatles first arrived in America, McCartney’s first images of Manhattan were taken through the window of the band’s chauffeur-driven car, capturing the fans that pursued them down West 58th Street.
Where McCartney appears in the photographs himself, the camera was said to have been handed off to a member of The Beatles’ team — enabling the viewer to capture glimpses of McCartney performing onstage or posing for pictures.
McCartney was also instrumental in the color choices for the exhibition. For the section that highlights the band’s time in England in 1963, he chose a rich shade of crimson red. And for the portion of the exhibition which reflects their time in Miami, McCartney wanted a bright blue, reflective of the sky.
“Everywhere I went I just took pictures,” McCartney said in a statement. “I was definitely looking for interesting shots, angles, lighting and compositions.”
“Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm” was organized by the National Portrait Gallery in London, in collaboration with McCartney, who curated the exhibit with Sarah Brown for MPL Communications, and Rosie Broadley for the National Portrait Gallery.
The presentation at the Brooklyn Museum is organized by Catherine Futter, director of curatorial affairs and senior curator of decorative arts, and Jennie Tang, executive assistant to the deputy director of art and the director of curatorial affairs.
