Women's Suite

Rare ‘backwards’ Beatles Abbey Road photograph

Rare ‘backwards’ Beatles Abbey Road photograph that dispels 53 years of conspiracy theories sold for £20,000

All four Beatles gathered at EMI Studios on the morning of Friday 8 August 1969 for one of the most famous photo shoots of their career. Photographer Iain Macmillan took the iconic image that adorned their last-recorded album, Abbey Road.

The photo on the album cover was in fact just one of ten taken during the same 1969 shoot by photographer Iain Macmillan. Iain Macmillan, who died in 2006, was chosen for the shoot in North London because he was friends with Yoko Ono.

It was staged in the 8th of August 1969 and featured John Lennon leading the band over the zebra crossing next to the Abbey Road studios.

The photo shows the band walking in the ‘wrong’ direction across the famous Abbey Road zebra crossing – and more importantly shows McCartney wearing a pair of white leather sandals.

The photo on the album cover was in fact just one of ten taken during the same 1969 shoot by photographer Iain Macmillan

For decades fans of the Fab Four have suggested the singer was killed in a car crash and replaced with a lookalike – pointing to his barefoot appearance on the Abbey Road album cover as proof.

If you are a fan of The Beatles you might enjoy these videos by Morgan Rees:

The Beatles “Beginning to the End” factoids:

The Beatles “White Album” factoids:

The making of “YELLOW SUBMARINE” movie: 

The Beatles “Rubber Soul” factoids: