the beatles at the cavern club liverpool, · pdf filethe beatles at the cavern club...

THE BEATLES AT THE CAVERN CLUBLIVERPOOL, 1963

PHOTOGRAPHS BYSHAHROKH HATAMI

PRESENTED BY:

SAN FRANCISCO ART EXCHANGE LLC

The Beatles at the Cavern Club - by Shahrokh HatamiSan Francisco Art Exchange LLC

458 Geary Street • San Francisco CA 94102 • sfae.com • 415.441.8840 main / 800.344.9633 toll free

From the same shoot that produced the wonderful “Fab Four Backstage at the Cavern” photographs we have represented for the last several years, this brand new image shows a unique perspective of the lads tuning up for their second performance of the day in their

hometown, late in 1963. They appear in their trademark turtlenecks, sitting relaxed, in the dimly lit dressing room with their iconic suits hanging in protective bags against the wall.

Compositionally, this image is quite fantastic. It features the distinctive tone of Hatami’s tungsten film, on which he shot this scene using only available light. It also utilizes several image planes due to the large mirror which functions in a clever way to show all four “Fabs” at once.

Ringo forms the foundation sitting thoughtfully in the foreground. George sits across from him, slightly further away, strumming his faithful Gretsch, and playfully using the reflection to look at

the camera. Deeper into the picture and in soft focus, Paul and John are shown in the reflection, seated, with the latter looking bright and cheerful while he plays his legendary black

Rickenbacker. Overall there is a very dreamlike quality to the image, it is restful and anticipatory at the same time, since all know a raucous, exciting show is coming soon!

NEW RELEASE!

20” x 24”Archival Pigment Print

Signed, limited edition of 25



The Beatles Backstage at the Cavern Club - Reflections, Liverpool, 1963







The Beatles backstage at the Cavern Club - John Looking at CameraLiverpool, 1963

These very rare photographs were taken in late 1963 and they are the earliest color images that we have yet seen of the Beatles, taken by a professional photographer. They were shot on

tungsten film using just the dim light in the tiny smoke-filled room. Hatami was sent to Liverpool by Paris Match Magazine to cover the Beatlemania phenomenon, and it was backstage at the

legendary Cavern Club that he captured these amazing images.

In April, 2012, Newsweek Magazine created a special Collector’s Issue dedicated entirely to the band in order to commemorate the 50 years since The Beatles were founded. This very image was chosen as the frontispiece of the issue, with the large headline:”The Beginning”.



The Beatles backstage at the Cavern Club - With Neil AspinallLiverpool, 1963





This shot includes Neil Aspinall, the legendary roadie often called “the 5th Beatle,” who was a boyhood friend of both Paul and George. In 1968 he became the director of Apple Records,

which he ran until mid-2007.

These incredible photographs not only feature all four Beatles, but also the three most significant Beatle guitars, the very same ones they took onto the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 which

is another impressive and rare feature of these images.

This particular image is in several prominent collections including The Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool as well as several celebrity clients and friends of SFAE.

This incredibly compelling piece is comprised of four individual portraits combined in a montage format. The tone is very reminiscent of the iconic “Meet the Beatles” album cover, created just a few months before. Because of this bold and straightforward design, it has become a very popular choice among collectors.

Hatami first created this montage in 2005 to be sold through Sotheby’s at one of their semi-annual photography auctions in New York. A 40” x 30” size Artist’s Proof sold that day for $12,000 and we have sold all of the other large proofs that were available.



The Fab Four QuadLiverpool, 1963









The Fab Four Color QuadLiverpool, 1963

This stunning composition beautifully captures the four individual talents that merged to form the most important and successful musical group of all time. This presentation is extraordinary in

that it simultaneously demonstrates each young man’s uniqueness while magnifying their perfect harmony in a bold juxtaposition of colors.

This piece originated as a result of Hatami’s interest in digital manipulation and modern printing techniques. As an experiment, he produced a series of one-of-a-kind pieces on canvas, each

one with a different monochrome tint, and they turned out so well we encouraged him to produce a multi-color version as a limited edition.



One-of-a-kind40” x 30”

Giclée print on mounted canvas

The Fab Four Unique Color Quad - BlueLiverpool, 1963

In 2007, Hatami began to experiment with digital manipulation and a variety of printing techniques for his popular Fab Four Quad Montage. These tests resulted in four one-of-a-kind

canvas prints, each with a different monochrome tint.

Everyone loved the look and visual impact that the combination of their large size with a single bold color captured, and that each one reflected a different mood. Like the large Color

Quad, we have seen these fit well into modern environments that benefit from the bold yet simple “pop” of color.



The Fab Four Unique Color Quad - GreenLiverpool, 1963









The Fab Four Unique Color Quad - AmberLiverpool, 1963









The Fab Four Unique Color Quad - RedLiverpool, 1963









Newsweek Collectors Edition Magazine - 50th Anniversary of The Beatles, Published April 2012

Life Story Collectors Edition Magazine - 50th Anniversary of The Beatles, Published May 2012

Life Magazine Collectors Edition - 50th Anniversary of The British Invasion, Published Feb. 2014

ARTIST’S BIOGRAPHY

Shahrokh Hatami has covered a broad range of high profile subjects as a photographer for nearly half a century, from celebrities, film and fashion, to politics, war, and social change. Born in 1928, Hatami - known primarily by this single professional byline - started as a writer for a major newspaper in Tehran, switching to photography in 1950. He then worked briefly as the Tehran correspondent for the Black Star Agency. Life Magazine published his coverage of the overthrow of democratically elected PM Mohammed Mossadegh and the restoration to power of the Shah in 1953.

Twenty-five years later, Hatami shot dramatic images of street fighting during the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79, which overthrew the Shah. His daring coverage of this popular revolution has been acquired by the Library of Congress, which is an honored privilege for any photographer. Hatami has counted among his friends, Presidents Gamal Abdul Nasser, and Anwar Sadat, Jordan's King Hussein, and Saudi King Faicsal, along with various other Syrian and Lebanese political figures.

During the late 1950’s through the 60’s Hatami was a freelancer in Europe and the Middle East, with many of his pictures appearing in Paris-Match and other leading magazines. He won the confidence of the notoriously inaccessible Grande Dame of couture, Coco Chanel, and as a close personal friend, produced some unique behind-the-scenes images. During the 1960’s and 70’s, Hatami captured many classic fashion magazine covers and celebrity portraits, including intimate shots of Elizabeth Taylor, Ursula Andress, Julie Christie, Sophia Loren, Ingrid Bergman, Marlon Brando, Steve McQueen, and innumerable other American and European personalities.

It was during this period that Hatami branched out into motion pictures, working as a special magazine photographer on the sets of Woody Allen’s "What's New Pussycat?”, Jean Luc Godard’s “Le Mepris”, Francois Truffaut’s “Fahrenheit 451”, “Casino Royal”, “Doctor Zhivago”, among many others like Roman Polanski’s "Rosemary's Baby" and 1965's "A Countess from Hong Kong" - starring Sophia Loren and Marlon Brando, and directed by Charlie Chaplin in what became his final feature film direction. It was on the set of "Rosemary's Baby" that Hatami became close with Mia Farrow. Hatami directed and produced a documentary called “Mia and Roman,” which can be viewed as an added feature on the DVD version of the now-classic horror film, “Rosemary’s Baby.” Hatami also knew Sharon Tate intimately and affectionately prior to her becoming Mrs. Polanski. His odyssey concerning Sharon Tate’s murder is well documented online.

It cannot be overstated how driven Hatami is as an artist and human being. Fueled by sheer will and perseverance, not to mention a very seductive charm, he was able to capture previously impenetrable worlds with his lens. This carried over into world events; His presence during the Israel/Egypt peace talks in 1977-1978, his shots of Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, his legendary plane trip with the Ayatollah Khomeini upon his return to Iran, February, 1979. His very colorful life has taken him across Africa and the Middle East, to penthouses and parties in Paris, London, New York and Hollywood. These are all a testament to an artist whose photo archive covers the last half of the 20th century and is now focusing in earnest on the new millennium.



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