Together with David Bailey and Terence Donovan, Duffy is recognised as one of the innovators of “documentary” fashion photography, a style which revolutionised fashion imagery and furthermore the fashion industry. Duffy once famously set fire to his negatives. He didn’t destroy everything though. His son Chris, also a professional photographer, reconstructed his archive with all that was rescued. Duffy passed away in 2010.

We are delighted to offer some examples signed by Duffy, along with a beautiful nine frame contact sheet issued by the Duffy archive. The photograph of John Lennon above was taken after The Beatles had returned from the USA after playing at Shea Stadium, New York. Lennon is smiling and holding what he jokingly claimed was a “UFO Detector”.

Acclaimed French photographer Jean-Marie Périer photographed the Beatles on various occasions from 1964 to 1967. In February 1967 Périer found himself camped for a week in a makeshift photographic studio, inside the Abbey Road recording studios, while the Beatles were in the midst of recording Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

One of the most famous photographs from that session was used on the front cover of the picture sleeve of the double A-side single, “Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane”. Périer deliberately set up the lighting behind the band, to create the desired effect. Sadly most of the session photographs were lost over the years, but Jean-Marie does still have a variant of the “Strawberry Fields” cover photograph in his archive and this is close to the sleeve shot –  as close as it gets.

Bob Whitaker photographed The Beatles over a key two year period, from 1964 to 66. His photograph of The Beatles with dismembered dolls and raw meat was used on the infamous US Yesterday and Today Butcher sleeve.

Born in England to an English mother and Australian father, Bob Whitaker (1939-2011), was well-known for his innovative photographic style. He was heavily influenced by his good friend Salvador Dali and this can be seen in the surreal images he took. His straight-forward, no holds-barred approach to photography left many of his subjects at ease, and allowed him to get closer than others before. Following the Beatles final world tour Bob went back to London, to help create the notorious hippy magazine “Oz”, with Martin Sharp.

We show a small selection of Bob Whitaker’s Beatles limited editions here. Click on the button below to view the wider collection.

Barrie Wentzell was one of the photographers at the Sgt Pepper’s press launch held at Brian Epstein’s house in London’s Chapel Street in May 1967 – the first time that The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band LP was played to the assembled media.

Barrie recalls the days fondly – “This was the first time I’d met and photographed The Beatles. It was at the launch party for Sgt. Pepper at Brian Epstein’s house in Belgravia –  a very posh part of London. There were people there from the press and elsewhere, and The Beatles were walking around talking and laughing. 

I was taking a few shots inside the house when Derek Taylor, their wonder press officer, suggested all the press and photographers go outside and we’ll do some pictures by the door. I managed to crawl up to the front through the crowd and get this picture of the “Fab Four”.

Sir Peter Blake is one of the UK’s foremost Pop Artists. In 2007, in a collaboration with Apple, he released a limited edition screen print of his artwork for the Sgt Pepper album cover. These sold out when first offered on the market, but from time to time we secure examples

Peter Dean: the limited edition Mr. Kite letterpress print

Rolling Stone magazine has described it as “simply stunning”, the V&A Museum have it in their permanent collection and Paul McCartney owns one. We are big fans of the analogue production values of the traditional letter press printing process. We are delighted to offer a handmade letterpress print by artist Peter Dean of the poster that inspired ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!’, the song that closes side one of The Beatles’ 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Scottish photographer, Iain Macmillan (1938-2006), was introduced to the Beatles through Yoko Ono who he worked with in 1966: Iain included a photograph of her in “The Book of London”, a collection of his photographs published that year. She then commissioned Iain to document her exhibition at London’s Indica gallery, and as a result, Iain was introduced to John Lennon – establishing the Beatles connection. Subsequently, John Lennon invited Iain to photograph the Abbey Road cover.

On Friday, 8 August, 1969, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr walked over the zebra crossing next to Abbey Road studios. There and back. Three times. Six clicks of the shutter. Just six photographs, and the shoot was over. Three frames showing the Beatles crossing from left to right, and three walking from right to left. The same order in each of the six frames – John Lennon first in white, then Ringo Starr in black, Paul McCartney in grey, barefoot, holding a cigarette in his right hand (all three in Tommy Nutter suits) and at the back, a denim clad George Harrison.

The fifth frame of six, showing a left to right traverse, was chosen as the actual cover.