Since February, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm has been dazzling audiences with its account of The Beatles’ musical and cultural British invasion of North America. The exhibition, on until June 7th, offers a deeper perspective on the Fab Four, whether viewers are new to the group or think of Paul, John, George and Ringo as their old friends.
Visitors enjoy the exhibition-themed photo booth, sponsored by RBC.
The exhibition captures a fleeting and fascinating moment in time. And anyone visiting the museum between May 20-24 was also able to freeze-frame their own meaningful moment at the special themed photo booth located at the corner of Dundas and McCaul, thanks to this special activation sponsored by RBC.
The photo booth first debuted in March and inspired AGO visitors and passersby to smile for a snap with friends and family. Those who did also received a discount on an AGO Annual Pass.
Jim Shedden, Curator, Special Projects & Director, Publishing, who organized the AGO presentation, commends RBC, the exhibition’s Signature Partner, for its innovative approach to sponsorship.
“RBC wanted to do something that meaningfully connected music and art fans with what was going on with the exhibition, which was really great.”
In all, more than 6,700 photos were taken in the booth—with the fun documented on Instagram—and 329 people bought an Annual Pass as a result.
Curated by Sir Paul McCartney himself, along with Sarah Brown for MPL Communications and Rosie Broadley for the National Portrait Gallery, the exhibition is comprised primarily of behind-the-scenes photographs taken by McCartney himself. Images of the Beatles, their partners and their professional entourage as they engage in a whirlwind tour through Miami, Washington, New York and Toronto—and light up the stage in a legendary performance on the Ed Sullivan Show—document a few short weeks that created a lasting impact on global culture.
“They’re really day-in-the-life photographs,” says Jim. “They had professional photographers with them, but McCartney would take photos of them taking photos of The Beatles and their fans.”
Through this practice, McCartney observed how his band was being observed, creating a more intimate, personal account of their rise to stardom.
As Jim explains, these photographs reveal McCartney’s multifaceted artistry, and echo the AGO’s approach to collecting photographic works of art.
“We have fine art photographs, anonymous photographs, press photographs—there are no boundaries,” Jim says. “It’s all about the practice of photography and trying to understand its place within visual culture.”