PATTY BOYD´S UNSEEN PHOTOS OF THE FAB FOUR TO GO ON DISPLAY IN THE UK

• Exhibition will run at The Beatles Story in Liverpool from May 6th until the autumn 

A thrilling new collection of previously unseen photographs of the Beatles and Eric Clapton taken by Pattie Boyd are to go on display for the first time in the UK. 

The rare images, largely taken during the late Sixties and Seventies, are part of Boyd's personal collection and promise a tantalising insight into the lives of some of the world's biggest rock stars.

Boyd, now 71, was married to George for a decade and, later, Eric Clapton and many of the photographs displayed in the exhibition in Liverpool in May will document her time as one of the most envied women in the world. 

 

A new exhibition by Pattie Boyd, former wife of George and Eric Clapton, is to go on display in the UK for the first time. The exhibition will include photographs from the Beatles' visit to northern India in 1968 including this one, which shows Paul McCartney, Ringo and John

The 71-year-old documented much of her life on the road with her rock star husbands, many images which have never been seen in public before. Pictured: George and the Maharishi during the band's famous trip to Rishikesh, in northern India in 1968

In a photograph taken by George, Pattie Boyd is pictured in the snow at Friar Park, in 1974

Born in Somerset, Pattie was a British model who was married to George Harrison at the height of The Beatles' fame from 1966 to 1977.

She later famously went on to marry George's friend, Eric Clapton in 1979, and is said to have inspired some of the guitar man's greatest hits.

As rock folklore has it Clapton pursued her passionately and rhapsodised about her refusal to abandon Harrison for him with his anguished hit Layla. He also wrote his most famous ballad, Wonderful Tonight, for her.

Now some of the iconic pictures she took during her relationships - her marriage to Eric ended in 1989 - are set to go on display in Britain for the first time at The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool.

The collection 'George, Eric and Me: Intimate photographs taken by Pattie Boyd' will officially open on May 5th.

Boyd said of the decision to show the images: 'I am thrilled to have the exhibition of my photographs at The Beatles Story and am very pleased to be able to attend the official opening.

A pensive John stares ahead as Paul takes a photograph during the Beatles' retreat to India in 1968

 

She continued: 'The Beatles legacy seems to get bigger and bigger and after 50 years, shows no sign of fading. 

'I hope that the many thousands of fans that visit the Liverpool attraction each year will have a chance to visit my exhibition and enjoy seeing the photographs and learn a little about when and where they were taken.'

Pattie first met George Harrison during filming of hit movie A Hard Day's Night in 1964 when she played a schoolgirl, but she was engaged to photographer Eric Swayne at the time and initially declined Harrison's offer of a date. 

Just a few days later, however, the pair went out to a club, chaperoned by Beatles manager Brian Epstein, and according to Pattie one of the first things George said to her was: 'Will you marry me?' 

Last year, the photographer wed her third husband, property developer Rod Weston, in a small ceremony at Chelsea Registry Office. 

She added: 'Each image has its own story, but together they form a chronicle of my life which I am proud and happy to share with visitors to the gallery.

'And not just Beatles fans, people who maybe have an interest in music in general, or the 60s and 70s and their fashions, will, I think, find some aspect of the show to captivate them.

'The Beatles Story is extremely well put together and maintained, and I am very pleased to be working with them on the exhibition project.' 

Reunited: George and Pattie were wed for 11 years from 1966 to 1977. The couple are pictured here in 1991 in a snow-covered garden

Intimate: A photo of a young George Harrison, taken in 1968, from the same trip to India also features

This 1973 shot shows a bearded George Harrison walking up a hill at his home in Friar Park near Henley-on-Thames

George and Eric were close friends but during Pattie's marriage to the Beatle, Eric, who found fame in the 1960s with his rock group Cream and also as a solo artist, fell in love with her.

During the late 1960s, George and Eric became close friends and began writing and recording songs together.

By the early 1970s, Eric had written his album with Derek and the Dominoes, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs, to proclaim his love for Pattie.

Martin King, from The Beatles Story, said: 'These photos are more than just icons in the frame, they are incredibly intimate and heartfelt - perhaps some of the most moving and intriguing in all Beatles and musical lore.

'For Pattie to choose The Beatles Story as the first place in the UK to exhibit the collection is a great tribute to the Fab Four and other stars of the time, some of whom also feature in our British Invasion special exhibit.

'The story of George, Eric and Me is a gripping one and is perfectly told through Pattie's photography and we are delighted that through this unique exhibit, we can give our visitors a true perspective of the lives they shared.'

The exhibition is set to run until the autumn and will also feature a display of Pattie's dresses from the period.

George, Eric and Me: Intimate photographs taken by Pattie Boyd will open on May 5th 2016 at The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool