Beatles' Hamburg Letters & Photos Exhibit: A Rare Glimpse

0:00On May 2nd, a rare collection of letters and photos from the Beatles' early days in Hamburg is hitting the spotlight in a free exhibition running from May 8th to May 25th. This ties into the city's annual Poor Festival and spotlights the original five members during their game-changing 1960-1962 stint there. Highlights include the only surviving letter with handwriting from both Paul McCartney and John Lennon, Santa Paul's brother Mike. The items come from spots like the Cavern Club and Liverpool Beatles Museum plus donations straight from Mike McCartney. They capture thoughts from Lennon, Paul, George Harrison, original bassist, Stewart Suckliffe, who tragically died young from a brain hemorrhage. Drummer Pete Best hired just for that first hamburger run. Mike McCartney calls it a huge turning point, with the band grinding non-stop gigs sometimes eight hours a night on uppers and downers to keep going. When they got back to Liverpool, Paul was skinnier, but the group sounded pro-level, tight and united, jumping straight to the top of the local scene.

1:03Photos snapped by Pete Best show their evolving style. He rocked the mop top first thanks to his fiance, Astrid Kirscher, and even stayed in Hamburg while the others left. One letter from Paul in May 1962, name drops buzz about Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis possibly hitting town, hinting at the hot live. Liverpool's eyeing a future homecoming for the exhibit after a BBC series films there on those early days. Mike admits he hoarded the stuff without realizing its weight until now, and it's cool his picks and tunes from his scaffold days add to the family. Legacy