Best known for his classic contributions to publications such as Time and LIFE, Henry Grossman maintained a long and fruitful relationship with the Beatles during the 1960s . For over four decades, the vast majority of his Beatles archive (which tops a staggering 6,000 photographs) has been hidden away, awaiting rediscovery. The collection is unprecedented in its scope and intimacy. Now, for the first time ever, these images — most of which have never been published — are finally being made available to fans and collectors for purchase as limited edition prints exclusively through Rock Paper Photo.
“The Beatles allowed just a few select photographers greater access than most," says renowned Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn, "and no one was ever closer than Henry Grossman." About Henry's newly-released archive, he adds, " It's a thrill to see and a feast to learn from — pure unmistakeable layers of how it was."Henry's relationship with The Beatles began in early 1964 when he photographed them during their iconic first performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. By 1965, he had become a trusted friend and companion, traveling with the group to The Bahamas and Austria during the production of Help!
Over the next three years, he would photograph them time and again behind closed doors, capturing a rare insider's view of The Beatles' world. Many of those rare photographs are featured in this Rock Paper Photo collection. "They were accustomed to seeing me with a camera, documenting everything that went on around me," Henry explains. "It was simply part of me, part of who I was. More than that, I had become a friend. So when I pulled out my camera, no one thought twice about it. No one cared. It wasn't seen as invasive."
The existence of such a massive cache of never-seen images is one of the most unexpected and significant Beatles discoveries of recent years. From private moments at home with their loved ones, to candid moments off set and at recording sessions, Henry took more photos of The Beatles over a longer period of time than any other photographer. Amazingly, only a small fraction of the more than 6,000 images he took of the group has ever been available for purchase -- until now.
