60 years later, Beatlemania will make its way to Brooklyn.
On Tuesday, the Brooklyn Museum announced that “Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm” will debut on May 3 and run through Aug. 18.
The acclaimed exhibit, which premiered last year at Britain’s National Portrait Gallery, features more than 250 photographs taken by the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer on his Pentax film camera between November 1963 and February 1964 — just as The Beatles were becoming a global phenomenon.
Described as an “immersive installation of photography, video clips, and archival material,” the exhibit chronicles the period when the Fab Four started out in Liverpool and went on to play concert halls in London, Paris and the United States.
“Since first arriving in New York in February 1964, Paul McCartney has built a strong, everlasting connection to the city,” Brooklyn Museum senior curator Catherine Futter said in the announcement. “His vibrant photographs from The Beatles’ first visit capture the energy of the city, the excitement of the American fans, and the frenzy of the band’s status as celebrities. Yet the images also record The Beatles’ fun and delight with each other.”
“Eyes of the Storm” is McCartney’s treasure trove of personal snapshots of the group performing onstage, hanging out in hotels and interacting with fans and paparazzi.
“Through McCartney’s lens, we feel the intensity of being at the center of such extraordinary events,” Futter added.
But The Beatles aren’t the only major entertainers with exhibits at the Brooklyn Museum this year.
The community-focused art institution, which offers free admission on the first Saturday of every month, is currently the home of the “Spike Lee: Creative Sources” retrospective, which closes on Feb. 11.
Beginning Feb. 10, the Brooklyn Museum will feature Alicia Keys’ and Swizz Beatz’ “Giants” exhibit, showcasing the Grammy-winning couple’s wide-ranging private art collection, including sought-after works by Black artists such as Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lorna Simpson and Kehinde Wiley.