By Rebecca McGrath - Liverpool Echo
A remarkable collection of unseen photographs documenting some of The Beatles' most iconic moments is set to go under the hammer after being hidden away in a suitcase for decades. More than 400 original contact sheets containing thousands of photographs taken by the Fab Four's trusted photographer, Leslie Bryce, are expected to fetch between £22,500 and £28,000 when they are auctioned by Sworders on July 6.
Bryce, born in 1933, was the photographer for The Beatles Monthly Book, the popular fan magazine that followed John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr throughout the height of Beatlemania. It was first published in August 1963 and, with 330,000 subscribers by the end of the year, continued for 77 editions until December 1969.
Thanks to the band's trust, he enjoyed rare access to dressing rooms, recording studios, backstage areas, and even private homes, capturing candid moments few others were able to witness.
Among the images are photographs from The Beatles' performance at the Winter Gardens in Margate in July 1963, backstage shots from their legendary first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show during their tour, and pictures from the 1964 European tour when Ringo Starr was temporarily replaced by Jimmie Nicol after developing tonsillitis.
The archive also documents the making of A Hard Day's Night and Help!, recording sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band at EMI Studios in 1967, and the premiere of the animated film Yellow Submarine the following year.
