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Robert Whitaker
The Beatles Dolls 1966 contact sheet print by Robert Whitaker

1966

About the Item

The Beatles "Dolls" contact sheet by Robert Whitaker from the photo session that ended up giving the band the controversial cover for the 1966 release "Yesterday and Today". On March 25, 1966, The Beatles visited 1 The Vale, Chelsea, London, a top-floor studio leased by Oluf Nilssen and frequently used by renowned photographer Robert Whitaker. Before the photo session with Robert Whitaker, The Beatles posed for a more conventional session at the studio with Nigel Dickson of The Beatles Book magazine. Wearing light turtleneck sweaters and dark jackets, they posed for what would become their 1966 handout and standard promotional pictures. The photo session with Whitaker yielded a series of avant-garde images, including provocative photos of the Beatles dressed as butchers, accompanied by raw meat and mutilated plastic baby dolls. Whitaker intended the butcher photo as part of a surreal triptych — never realized — that would represent the mass adulation surrounding the Beatles and the illusory nature of stardom. One of those photographs was chosen for the cover of their upcoming US album, “Yesterday And Today,” which was set to be released in June 1966. The cover sparked significant controversy ahead of its release, prompting Capitol Records to initiate “Operation Retrieve” to recall all LP copies from distributors and replace the controversial image and any related promotional materials. All limited edition prints in this collection are hand numbered and authenticated with the official Robert Whitaker Estate Stamp. Available in two limited edition sizes 16x20" - Edition 75 20x24" - Edition 50 Print type: C-Type Prints Paper Type: Fujifilm Crystal Archive Paper
  • Creator:
    Robert Whitaker (1939, British)
  • Creation Year:
    1966
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)Width: 20 in (50.8 cm)
  • More Editions & Sizes:
    20x24" - Edition 50Price: $2,250
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Framing:
    Framing Options Available
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Austin, TX
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1812214377142

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