Eight unpublished original 2.25 x 2.25 negatives of the Beatles arriving in Adelaide during their 1964 tour of Australia. Three show the Beatles—John, Paul, and George—deplaning and on the tarmac, three show them riding in a special convertible, and two show immense crowds gathered to receive them. Includes contact prints of each negative. Images are sold with copyright. In overall fine condition. Provenance: Christie’s, 1990.
Although the Beatles included Australia among their stops during the 1964 world tour, Adelaide wasn’t originally on the itinerary. A petition from local DJ Bob Francis convinced them it was worthwhile, after he acquired over 80,000 signatures in three weeks’ time—in response, the Beatles made the city the site of their first-ever Australian show. They arrived in Adelaide on June 12, 1964, to an overwhelming reception—somewhere between 200,000 and 350,000 lined the streets to welcome them as their motorcade took them from the airport to their hotel. Ringo Starr had fallen ill from tonsillitis a week earlier, leading Brian Epstein to hire Jimmie Nicol to fill in—it was Nicol behind the drum kit for all four of their Adelaide shows (though he is absent from these photos), before Ringo was able to rejoin the band at their next stop in Melbourne. From their touchdown at the airport to the massive crowds, these fantastic unpublished images capture the very essence of the Beatles’ historic arrival on the continent. RR Auction COA.
