Tommy Hanley Beatles exhibition

48 Beatles photos taken by the late Tommy Hanley is currently on display at “The Hari” in London.

If you’re in London, you may want to visit “The Hari”, where an exhibition of 48 Beatles photos, taken by the late Tommy Hanley is on until April 2. The window installation displays specially selected Beatles and Beatles-related exclusive photographs (including people such as Billy Preston, Cilla Black and Harry Nilsson) that includes images produced from Hanley’s original negatives. These and more photos are to be featured in an upcoming book.

The photos were taken by Tommy Hanley over the course of his 30-year friendship with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and include John and Yoko at Tittenhurst Park recording the “Imagine” album, as well as the first image of the three remaining Beatles reunited for their “Anthology” project.

Yoko Ono Lennon kindly granted permission to include a number of Hanley’s iconic images of John Lennon from her private collection, the ‘Imagine’ images shot in 1971.

The window installation was organised by Art Vinyl – who have curated annual exhibitions to celebrate the best in record cover design for the past 16 years.

‘This is an amazing opportunity for us, diversifying from our usual record cover art exhibitions, to deliver our first ever photography installation – and what a talent we’ve had the chance to work with. Now looking at the multiple photographic artworks on each side of our giant installation, you can almost hear the soundtrack in one’s head, the immediate connection these familiar faces have made on our collective music history.’

– The founder of Art Vinyl, Andrew Heeps.

The installation is a prelude to the launch of Tommy Hanley’s limited edition book “With a Little Help from My Lens” which documents his time spent with the “Fab Four”. The upcoming book is Tommy Hanley’s personal account of the time he spent with The Beatles. Originally written in 2009, it has been brought to life by his son, Tony Hanley. The 1,000 limited edition copies include over 100 of Tommy Hanley’s images, from the height of the group’s early fame in the early 60s to fascinating intimate images shot in the Apple Offices at the end of their career together.

A limited edition book is to be published.

‘My late father, Tommy, originally penned this book well over 12 years ago. Sadly, his health slowly deteriorated to the point that he could no longer continue, so I made a promise to bring it to life one day. It is indeed a great moment to be able to share, just a small selection of his images which, using today’s digital technology, have been brought back to life and appear in all their glory in the book, as well as his fascinating and personal account of the friendship he enjoyed with The Beatles. Tommy’s images are clearly not ‘run of the mill’ and the selection of his work on display for the Art Vinyl exhibition, is a proud moment and a chance for everyone to enjoy his work featuring The Fab Four as well as many of the personalities that were also part of the 1960s scene.’

– Tony Hanley

Mark Lewisohn, Beatles historian and author of ‘Tune In’, explains in the book’s foreword, “Hanley was another Londoner who had The Beatles’ confidence, as well as a first rate feel for releasing the shutter. Often the only photographer in the room, he enjoyed fine exclusives.”

“With A Little Help From My Lens” chronicles Tommy Hanley’s time working with The Beatles, right up to his experiences in the 1980s when he was appointed as an archivist by Apple Corps to assist in tracking down photographs and memorabilia for The Beatles’ ‘Anthology’ project.

Links:
The Hari
Tom Hanley’s website
Tom Hanley’s Facebook page
Tom Hanley’s Instagram