A few years ago, I was fortunate to be able to obtain a signed photo print from the late official Beatles photographer, Dezo Hoffmann. I chose this photo to purchase because the Beatles are all handling Apples possibly signaling a portend of things to come
Photo of The Beatles
Saw this on YouTube -some brief home movies shot by Dezo and his crew in 1963
Harry Benson is another photographer who had a long history of photographing either the Beatles or in the solo career of Paul McCartney. Here are some of the Benson books that are in my personal Beatles-related book collection
Benson had the distinction of photographing many US Presidents. He photographed and therefore helped to document the Civil Rights movement. He was next to Robert Kennedy when he was assassinated by Sirhan Sirhan in 1968. He has photographed some of the biggest worldwide personalities of the last 50 years including the late Queen Elizabeth, the late Michael Jackson, and the late Elizabeth Taylor.
A more generalized Benson photography book featuring Paul McCartney on the cover:
PowerHouse Books-Published in 2009 Introduction by John Loring:
Book can be found on Ebay, Amazon, and many book search services such as Abe Books!
Harry Benson Photographs
Harry Benson’s signature in my copy of the book.
Harry Benson Photographs
Taschen Publications published 2 editions of this book of Benson’s McCartney photos. This was the mass market trade edition:
Book can be found on Ebay, Amazon, and many book search services such as Abe Books!
Harry Benson – Paul
Taschen also produced a signed limited edition version of the book. I believe the edition was 600 copies signed by Harry Benson: The book is the same book as the one above but in a cut-away red hard plastic slipcase There was also two art editions totaling 100 copies which were accompanied by a signed gelatin silver print from Harry Benson. These editions are sold-out!
Collector’s Edition of 600 copies (No. 101–700), each numbered and signed by Harry Benson
Also available in two Art Editions (No. 1–100), accompanied by a signed gelatin silver print
Harry Benson – Paul
Harry’s Book of Beatles Photographs
The next two titles feature probably Benson’s most famous Beatles photos on the cover of the famous pillow fight taken in one if their hotel rooms. These 2 books basically feature photos taken while the Beatles were still touring the world. Published by Taschen in 2013. Can be found on Ebay, a few used copies remain on Amazon. The book can also be located through various Book search services such as Abe Books.
Harry Benson The Beatles on The Road
January 1, 1993Universe Publications-The Beatles: In the Beginning
Once again copies can be found on Ebay, used copies are also available on Amazon and the book can also be located at such book search services as Abe Books!
The Beatles In The Beginning
I added this one to the collection because of the ironic book title “The Beatles-Now and Then”, especially in light of their last number 1 in the UK appearing with the same name in November of 2023. The book was issued in 1998!
Release Date: September 1998–Universe Publishing
The Beatles Now and Then
Once there was a way…Photographs of the Beatles Hardcover – Published on September 23, 2003 by Harry N. Abrams Publisher
Harry Benson photographer
“Once There Was a Way” to get back homeward. Then why do so many philosophers tell you we can’t go home again…? Ask Thomas Dekker!!! LOL
Once There Was A Way
Have you got any of Harry Benson’s books of photographs? Do you have a favourite Beatles photographer?
Buzz
Other Book of Beatles Photographs
Bill Zygmant – Where Did You Get That Shirt? (Signed Limited Edition)
Get your copy of Bill Zygmant’s portfolio book of unique photographs covering his career from the late 1960s to the 1980s.
This will be a signed, numbered edition – maximum of 250 numbered editions.
It comes with one of Bill’s signed photographs, which usually sells for £50!
This set piece of the Apple Records Our First Four US Press Information Pack is perhaps the most rare press offering coupled with the UK Set, that is so sought after by fans and collectors.
The number of complete sets of both can be probably numbered by the fingers on both hands, This set which compliments the United Kingdon Pack is also from my own collection. Both sets are held within a standard Apple box file complete with an autographed Apple Records card on the Top. The autograph is by Tony Bramwell and was given to me by a relative who met him at Apple in 1969.
The photographs display the full USA Set pack, and like my UK Set, are kept out of the sunlight, and viewed occasionally by myself to show people. It is a simply gorgeous but different set to the UK offering. The only similarity is the wording used, it was matching all the way through. The photographs are as follows.
The Apple box-type file, with the autographed Tony Bramwell Card, and the envelope used to hold the Our First Four US package
Apple Record’s Our First Four US
The holding paper/ card folder with the Apple motif printed on the front.
The Holding Paper/ Card with Apple Logo
The general package, showing each artist card front and the 45 rpm singles US release
The Apple First Four US Package
The package for the Black Dyke Mills Band issue Thingumybob / Yellow Submarine
The Black Dyke Mills Band
The general package part for Jackie Lomax Sour Milk Sea
Jackie Lomax “Sour Milk Sea”
The general package for Mary Hopkin’s Release “Those Were The Days” / “Turn, Turn, Turn”
Mary Hopkin’s “Those Were The Days”
The package for “Hey Jude” / “Revolution”
“Hey Jude” / “Revolution”
This is the general package unit for the whole presentation, showing the extra items envelope, stamps, leaflet, small Apple cube, and accompanying Double White Album Leaflet
General US Package
This really was a beautiful package destined to disappear very quickly and therefore ultimately to grow in value
I hope that you enjoy this presentation, as this will be the only time it will be photographed for display.
Get Nigel’s Great book on Apple – Inside Number Three
Inside Number Three – The Illustrated History of Apple Records
Inside No3 takes you through that famous door, deep into the minds of all who worked there at Apple Records. This is done also in a very different way. This is not a kiss-and-tell diary, it is through fan adulation and understanding via a personal collection of artifacts and memorabilia that author Nigel Pearce has built up over the last 50 years.
John Lennon’s blunt nature often displayed truth in the observation that he could be his own worst enemy at times, especially with his “More Popular Than Jesus” comments! Public relations were certainly not his area of expertise. That was more of Paul’s realm! Though some would argue that John’s airing of his viewpoints was one of their favorite Lennon qualities as they made people “think” about social problems rather than just blindly accepting them as normal aspects of everyday life. Some subjects are certainly more controversial than others and discussing them can often lead to spirited conflict. Well, the Beatles were not immune to controversial subjects during their tenure at the top of the musical hierarchy…
John Lennon, in the mid-sixties made a comment to journalist Maureen Cleave that many believed was taken out of context that the influence of religion on the youth was declining whereas the mass following the Beatles were receiving was having more of an impact on the youth culture at that particular point in time.
Though his religious comments did not have a significant impact in Europe when they were made to journalist Maureen Cleave, when the comments appeared in the States, quite the controversy ensued as there was burnings of Beatles records and threats made on the Beatles lives. No doubt that this contributed to the 1966 decision for the Beatles to stop their touring careers!
Here are a few items from my collection dealing with this controversy
The September and October issues of Datebook magazine
September 1966 issue – the Cleave interview appears in this issue:
John’s More Popular Than Jesus Comments Appeared Here
The October 1966 issue where the publisher defends Lennon’s comments:
An excerpt of the Datebook publishers letter surrounding the controversy:
Finally, the “I Apologize” LP put together to market the controversy. It contained a news conference surrounding the matter and interviews with individual band members. It was not a big seller!However, I did add a copy to the collection primarily because of all the heated conversations about the incident.
In your opinion, what was the most controversial aspect of the career of the Beatles? What event seemed to bother you the most?
Buzz
Discover More about John Lennon at The Beatles Bookstore
Discover Jude’s Fascinating John Lennon Series here
Shivering Inside (Vol 2) Dec 1961 – Jan 1963
But for John Lennon, the hectic rise to glory failed to cure the constant Shivering Inside. He was still searching for something…or someone…to fill the hole in his heart. There are no hard copies left but you can get it on Kindle here for $9.99.
The “novelty” of getting a Novelty Beatles book title that is not commonplace still provides a great thrill to me as a Beatles book collector. A special category of those uncommon titles are Beatles novelty books. I have provided a couple of examples below of books from the ’60s where these books not only were poking fun at the Beatles phenomenon, but the authors may have missed out on some important details. Little did they know at the time that the books they were writing for a chuckle or a laugh, or perhaps to CAPITALIZE on the group’s incredible popularity, that the novelty books intent has boomeranged and changed over time as the perceptions of the band evolved through the ensuing years.
Novelty Books
Courses on the Beatles are now taught on the collegiate level, and I am willing to wager that most of the novelty books had the intention of solely poking fun at this long-haired group from Liverpool that was uplifting the younger generation to the forefront and front page of the culture. Little did the older generation realize what the lasting power of that group would be and the influence they would have on a worldwide basis!
Here are a few examples of Beatles novelty books.
BEATLE MANIA HITS THE BIG WIGS by STAN FINE. Published in 1964 by Gem Publishing Co.
FRONT COVER
Novelty Beatles Books – Beatlemania Hits The Big Wigs
The back cover-how many of you Baby Boomers remember the names of the celebrities portrayed in the Beatles wigs?
This book was a collection of satirical photographs from 1964 of many prominent public figures making comments about their appearance adorned in Beatles wigs and poking fun at the Beatle phenomenon. The photos contained within the book could double as postcards as a place to affix a stamp was also provided on the individual backside of the photos.. Here a few sample pages:
BIT BY LOVE AND THE BEETLE BUG
Published in 1964 and authored by Diane David and Julie Ann Lyman
Printed by Ravenswood Guardian Press
Perhaps the spelling of the group name was changed to avoid legal issues, but this book had a similar premise though the people portrayed in the photographs were not celebrities unlike the first title.
Stan Fine had a similar set of postcards under a different title that he devised for another presentation of prominent world leaders at the time presented in Beatles wigs
For me these books are important to have because it serves as evidence, that at the beginning the group was possibly not being taken seriously by the older generation or that they were simply being seen as a fad or a novelty. The unfolding events of musical history certainly proved that opinion to be misguided and faulty!
If you have any Beatles novelty books in your collection, would love to hear their titles and the premise that the book takes in it’s presentation. I also have a selfish reason for asking. If it is a book that I am not aware of, I may want to add it to my want list!
BUZZ
Art & Craft
Original art and craft related to Liverpool and the Beatles
