A rare collection of letters and photographs from the Beatles' early days, including the only known letter co-written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, is set to go on display in Hamburg. The free exhibition, running from 8 to 25 May as part of the city's annual port festival, focuses on the band's formative period between 1960 and 1962, when they lived and performed in the German city.
The collection features donations from Paul McCartney's brother, Mike McCartney, who described the letters as revealing "so many secrets about them as they are developing." One letter from Paul to Mike, written in May 1962, includes a lengthy passage dictated by Lennon, featuring a whimsical poem and mentions of figures such as Jesus and racing driver Stirling Moss. Another letter from original drummer Pete Best to his mother recalls how he, Lennon, and McCartney felt like stars boarding a plane after being voted Liverpool's number one band.
Photographs taken by original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, who died shortly after the Hamburg period, also feature in the exhibition. Sutcliffe, who was instrumental in shaping the band's style and was the first to sport the moptop hairstyle, decided to stay in Hamburg with his fiancée, Astrid Kirchherr, while the others returned to Liverpool.
Mike McCartney noted that the band performed "non-stop" in Hamburg, often for eight hours a night, and relied on stimulants to keep going. He said the experience transformed the group's professionalism, making them "chalk and cheese" compared to before their Hamburg stint. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, which helped assemble the collection with the Hamburg senate, is considering bringing the exhibition to Liverpool in the future.
