Astrid Kirchherr, the photographer who helped shape The Beatles’ image early in her career, died in Hamburg this Wednesday (May 13), a few days before her 82nd birthday.
Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn confirmed the news on Twitter, writing: “Intelligent, inspirational, innovative, daring, artistic, awake, aware, beautiful, smart, loving and uplifting friend to many. Her gift to the Beatles was immeasurable.” No cause of death has yet been revealed.
Kirchherr had been working as an assistant for four years when she first met The Beatles. The young band from Liverpool were playing a residency in Hamburg and Kirchherr was immediately drawn to their look and energy.
She was briefly engaged to founding member Stuart Sutcliffe, before his untimely death in 1962. She kept in close contact with the band, photographing them to on two separate occasions over the next few years, once on a private holiday to Tenerife and again on the set of A Hard Days Night, following the explosion of the band into global stardom.
Kirchherr has taken very few photographs since 1967 and her early work has been exhibited in Hamburg, Bremen, London, Liverpool, New York City, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, Vienna and at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. She has published three limited-edition books of photographs, the most recent ‘Astrid Kirchherr With The Beatles’.
Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn confirmed the news on Twitter, writing: “Intelligent, inspirational, innovative, daring, artistic, awake, aware, beautiful, smart, loving and uplifting friend to many. Her gift to the Beatles was immeasurable.” No cause of death has yet been revealed.
“Astrid was the one, really, who influenced our image more than anybody. She made us look good.” –– George HarrisonAstrid Kirchherr was born in Hamburg, on May 20, 1938. Originally intending to study fashion design, she was persuaded by a tutor to enroll on the photography course, with the guarantee of a job as his assistant after completion of her degree.
Kirchherr had been working as an assistant for four years when she first met The Beatles. The young band from Liverpool were playing a residency in Hamburg and Kirchherr was immediately drawn to their look and energy.
“It was like a merry-go-round, they looked absolutely astonishing… My whole life changed in a couple of minutes. All I wanted was to know them.”Following this initial introduction, Kirchherr went on to create some of the most iconic images of The Beatles, and her striking portraits from the Hamburg Funfair are the earliest professional photographs of the band.
She was briefly engaged to founding member Stuart Sutcliffe, before his untimely death in 1962. She kept in close contact with the band, photographing them to on two separate occasions over the next few years, once on a private holiday to Tenerife and again on the set of A Hard Days Night, following the explosion of the band into global stardom.
Kirchherr has taken very few photographs since 1967 and her early work has been exhibited in Hamburg, Bremen, London, Liverpool, New York City, Washington, D.C., Tokyo, Vienna and at the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. She has published three limited-edition books of photographs, the most recent ‘Astrid Kirchherr With The Beatles’.
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