By NOEL MURPHY
THE Bahamas 1965 and John, Paul, George and Ringo – the Fab Four – stand on the steps of their Pan Am jet preparing to assault the tropical islands while filming Help!
In other shots the lads are pursued by adoring crowds, wend their way through police cordons, pose in technicolour Sgt Pepper’s outfits, rub shoulders with celebrities, sport major-league ’60s moustaches, bang guitars in studios and on stage and etch their famous autographs for fans.
In one shot John Lennon plays with son Julian, another has Paul McCartney, in suit and tie, and girlfriend Jane Asher looking for all the world like a garden variety business couple.
Harrison sports skivvies and three-D specs, Ringo’s garbed in a sheepskin that might serve a yak-herder well enough.
If any one thing typified, indeed spearheaded, the social revolution that was the 1960s, it was The Beatles.
Between them and Vietnam, an era of peace, love and drugs changed the Western world’s taste in music, politics and fashion.
A photographic exhibition of Beatles photographs, many of them rarely seen, is about to go on show at East Geelong’s Elephant and Castle Hotel.
Owner and Geelong Mayor Darryn Lyons has sourced the images from his archives.
His fiance, Elissa Friday, gave the Independent a tour of the shots this week before the exhibition officially opens next Tuesday night.
Proceeds from the exhibition will go to Barwon Health’s special care nursery.
The exhibition runs until the end of October.
