Letters and photos from Beatles’ early days to go on show in Hamburg

A rare collection of letters and photographs from the Beatles’ early years will soon be showcased in Hamburg, highlighting a formative time for the band when they first began to feel like stars. This exhibit centers on the group’s residency in the German city between 1960 and 1962, a pivotal period that greatly influenced their sound and image.

Among the items on display is a unique letter featuring the handwriting of both Paul McCartney and John Lennon, addressed to Paul’s brother, Mike McCartney. The exhibition, which is free and scheduled to run from 8 to 25 May as part of Hamburg’s annual Hafengeburtstag port festival, focuses on the original five band members during this significant era. Mike McCartney, who has contributed some of the letters to the collection organized by the Liverpool city region combined authority and the Hamburg senate, remarked on how the documents reveal “so many secrets about them as they are developing.”

The letters and photos, sourced also from The Cavern Club and the Liverpool Beatles Museum, offer insights into the thoughts and experiences of Lennon, McCartney, George Harrison, Stuart Sutcliffe—the original bassist who passed away shortly after the Hamburg period at age 21 due to a brain hemorrhage—and Pete Best, the first drummer recruited specifically for their initial trip to Hamburg. In a letter to his mother, Best described how he, Lennon, and McCartney felt like celebrities as they boarded a plane after being interviewed by the press about being Liverpool’s number one band.

Photographs taken by Best, who played a key role in cultivating the band’s style and was the first to sport their iconic moptop haircut, also feature in the exhibit. The hairstyle was given to him by his fiancée, Astrid Kirchherr. Best remained in Hamburg with Kirchherr while the rest of the band returned to Liverpool, and he was subsequently replaced by Ringo Starr. Mike recalled how the Beatles performed tirelessly during their Hamburg stint, sometimes playing for eight hours a night, often relying on stimulants to keep going. Paul’s return to Liverpool marked a transformation; Mike observed that although Paul was noticeably thinner, the group had clearly moved to a higher level of professionalism and unity, becoming “just out and out the top group in Liverpool.”

One notable letter from Paul to Mike, dated May 1962, sheds light on the bustling live music scene in Hamburg at the time. Paul mentioned rumors of American rock’n’roll legends Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis potentially visiting, expressing hope that the Beatles might get the chance to perform alongside Berry. The letter also contains an extended passage from Lennon, dictated to Paul, which begins with a lighthearted poem about perseverance and humorously sympathizes with Mike over not knowing if he got a hairdressing job. The writing continues for several pages, featuring cameos from figures such as Jesus and the Formula One driver Stirling Moss.

Looking ahead, the Liverpool Combined Authority has indicated interest in possibly bringing the exhibition back to the city, coinciding with a BBC six-part series currently being filmed in Hamburg that explores the Beatles’ early days. Reflecting on why he kept the letters, Mike admitted he had no particular reason at first and “didn’t even realise their significance” until recently. His wife jokingly called him a hoarder for holding onto them for over 60 years. “But I’m glad that I did, to a certain extent. Because if I hadn’t hoarded, then you wouldn’t have these unique letters.” Besides his family connection, Mike was also a musician and photographer. He played in the band the Scaffold and compiled a photographic book titled *Mike McCartney’s Early Liverpool* that features images of the Beatles in their formative years. When asked about communicating with Paul these days, Mike said they no longer rely on letters, instead using FaceTime, where Paul often appears “looking like a scruffy get.” Mike teased him, saying, “He never shaves. I always say ‘you scruffy bugger’. We just talk about nothing … and everything.”

Read the full article from The Guardian here: Read More