Rare Beatles Photograph Collection by Astrid Kircherr

The Beatles in Hamburg, Germany, 1960. L-R: Pete Best, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney & Stuart Sutcliffe. (Photo by Astrid Kircherr. Courtesy of Rock Paper Photo)

Astrid Kircherr's photographs of the early career of the Beatles in Hamburg, Germany are well known around the world. They show the band in that halcyon time before their worldwide fame and before Ringo Starr joined the band and Pete Best was their drummer and Stuart Sutcliffe, whom Astrid was engaged to, was the band's bassist.

 Astrid's then boyfriend Klaus Voorman and mutual friend Jurgen Vollmer, who is also a photographer in his own right, influenced the band's style, cutting their hair into the famous moptop that trended worldwide when the Beatles came to prominence. After the Beatles gained worldwide fame, she was invited to take behind the scenes photos of them on their first film 'A Hard Day's Night' in 1964. These photos are included in the Astrid Kircherr collection that is available at Rock Paper Photo.

George, Stuart & John in Hamburg, Germany, 1960. (Photo by Astrid Kircherr. Courtesy of Rock Paper Photo)

Stuart Sutcliffe left the band in 1961 to concentrate on his painting career and stayed in Germany with Astrid until his sudden and tragic death from a brain haemorrhage in April 1962. Pete Best was replaced by Ringo in the same year.

John & George in a reflective mood during a visit to Kircherr's studio in 1962. (Photo by Astrid Kircherr. Courtesy of Rock Paper Photo)

John Lennon in Hamburg, Germany, 1962. (Photo by Astrid Kircherr. Courtesy of Rock Paper Photo)

George Harrison in Hamburg, Germany, 1962. (Photo by Astrid Kircherr. Courtesy of Rock Paper Photo)

These fantastic shots of John and George were taken shortly after the death of their friend and former band mate Stuart Sutcliffe and show the two friends in a particularly somber and reflective mood.