The Lost Beatles Photographs: The Bob Bonis Archive, 1964-1966 – Groundbreaking Photos from Studio, Stage, and Backstage

by Larry Marion

Larry Marion's The Lost Beatles Photographs is a milestone for rock and roll collecting: the largest trove of never-before-seen rock photographs ever uncovered reveals the Fab Four on their earliest American tours during the 1960s. Selected from a cache of intimate, behind-the-scenes snapshots taken by Bob Bonis--the US tour manager for the boys from Liverpool as well as the Rolling Stones and other British Invasion bands-- The Lost Beatles Photographs reveals the casual, human side of a young John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. Presented by Larry Marion, owner of New York's Not Fade Away Gallery and curator of the acclaimed exhibit "The British Are Coming: The Beatles and The Rolling Stones 1964-66," this one-of-a-kind book gives a priceless window into the off-stage personalities of the world's greatest rock band.

Genres: Music, Photography, Nonfiction, Art

169 pages, Hardcover

First published March 22, 2011

Reviews

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

"'Go to church on Sunday . . . but SEE THE BEATLES on Friday!'" -- newspaper advertisement for the August 1966 concert in Memphis, Tennessee (just scant weeks after John Lennon's "more popular than Jesus" misquote in the press caused some major controversy in America's 'Bible Belt' region)

Bob Bonis has my vote as one of the luckiest people in the early rock & roll world - he served as tour manager for both the Beatles AND the Rolling Stones during their separate mid-60's forays into the United States. (Bonis once commented about the Fab Four that "I've never seen a more 'together' band. They are really nice guys, and considering the adulation they are handling it really well.") As Bonis was a trusted member of a small inner circle - also including known associates such as band manager Brian Epstein, press officer Derek Taylor, and equipment 'roadie' Mal Evans - throughout the brief U.S. concert tours in the summers of 1964, 1965 and 1966 he literally had a front seat row seat during the shows and the downtime. Bonis always took along his personal Leica M3 camera and was permitted to take many candid snapshots because they were only intended for his own personal scrapbook. Almost two decades after Bonis' 1992 passing his son Alex then assembled the various photographs - in both color and b&w - into this fine archive for public viewing for the very first time. While some readers may argue that the concert shots soon seem repetitive, in at least one instance they are the only known photographs to exist from one particular show (the late August 1966 performance in Cincinnati, Ohio) just before they ceased touring altogether. This is a minor but still savory treat for fans of the band, capturing those fleeting days when Beatlemania ruled the world.

[patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating this up to a 4 because of the many live performance photos, photos often featuring their amazing guitars, which to a gear head would be of interest. But perhaps this info lives elsewhere, and in better resolution.

[Mhorg · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I was enthralled by the photographs, I really think they could have used some better captioning.

[Andy · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some good shots of the Beatles at their only Minnesota show, but overall there are just too many pictures of the Beatles that are not much different than these. The companion Rolling Stones book seemed more unique and had a wider variety, the bulk of the photos here are live shots.