Photos of the band The Beatles early in their career in the United States sold for about Rp4, 9 billion (253 thousand pounds) in an auction held in Merseyside, England.
Photographs by photographer Mike Mitchell who auctioned it amounted to more than 350 sheets. These photos capture the moment when the band arrived for their first concert in America in Washington DC and Baltimore in 1964.
In addition to photos of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr on stage, Mitchell co-saved their photos during a press conference before the show.
The 18-year-old Mitchell said he was motivated to photograph The Beatles after watching their show on the Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964.
"I am very motivated to come up with things that might be unique," he said.
He then took pictures upon arrival of the band for their first US concert at the Washington Coliseum on February 11, 1964. At that time, Mitchell said he only rely on natural light for not being able to buy flash or flash.
He then came back when the Beatles played at the Baltimore Civic Center on September 13, 1964. At that time, he desperate to get on stage to get a better picture.
"I saw and noticed that nobody was on stage, I thought I wanted to know what it was like to get onstage and see what I could get there," he said, quoted by the Guardian.
Altogether, the photographs amounted to 413 negative films with copyrights of 253 thousand pounds (RM4.4 billion) and only 46 of those photos were shown before the auction in 2011.
In addition, the black AMG Mercedes purchased by George Harrison in 1984 for £ 85,000 from dealership in Wilmslow, Cheshire, also sold for 43 thousand (Rp840 million). Wow 🤤