Carnegie Hall

Between performances on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Beatles made their Carnegie Hall debut, playing two 35-minute concerts on February 12, 1964. They never appeared at the Hall again. Until now.

From October 8 through December 17, the Fab Four return when Carnegie Hall presents The Beatles: Hidden Gallery, an exhibition in Zankel Hall of more than 30 recently discovered candid images of the seminal rock group, photographed in 1963 and 1964 by British photographer and award-winning cinematographer Paul Berriff. These intimate photographs—shot in England around the time of the group's Carnegie Hall debut—showcase the young band on the cusp of super-stardom, just prior to the worldwide eruption of Beatlemania.

In 1963—when Berriff was only 16 years old—he was granted a coveted place on several backstage-pass lists by the managers of local Yorkshire theaters. In addition to The Beatles, he regularly found himself behind-the-scenes at numerous concerts, up close to many musicians of the day, including Roy Orbison, The Rolling Stones, and Queen. He returned to photograph The Beatles again in 1964. He captured many candid moments with the type of backstage access that later became impossible. As the group became more popular, photo shoots were restricted to a small cadre of pre-approved professional photographers.

Although it seems hard to believe, Berriff forgot about his photos and the negatives lay stored in a small box until he rediscovered them while clearing out his attic in 2009. Among them were nearly 40 images of The Beatles, seen by the public for the first time last year. 

The Beatles: Hidden Gallery exhibit is presented by Carnegie Hall in conjunction with The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool, England. For more information on The Beatles: Hidden Gallery collection, visit the-beatles-hidden-gallery.com.

About the Photographer
Paul Berriff is one of the UK's leading cinematographers, with a career that spans over 45 years. Berriff started his career as a copy boy and press photographer at the Yorkshire Evening Post, but soon moved into the world of moving pictures—becoming the youngest-ever cameraman for the BBC at the age of 21. Since then, Berriff's career has taken him to such far-flung destinations as Nicaragua and Borneo, earning him the nickname "The Indiana Jones of Television." Among his many successes, Berriff is credited for pioneering the "fly-on-the-wall" reality documentary—a format now seen on television channels the world over. His unique eye for a good story, coupled with an exacting standard of professionalism, has earned him a total of 19 industry awards, including a BAFTA Award (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) for Best Factual Program and a nomination for Best Cinematography.