SPILL FEATURE: PAUL McCARTNEY PHOTOGRAPHS 1963-1964: EYES OF THE STORM @ THE ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO (AGO), TORONTO

PAUL McCARTNEY PHOTOGRAPHS 1963-1964: EYES OF THE STORM @ THE ART GALLERY OF ONTARIO (AGO), TORONTO

MARCH 24, 2026 (EXHIBITION ON UNTIL JUNE 7, 2026)

All four of The Beatles were avid photographers. Paul McCartney was no exception, and both he and Ringo Starr used their Pentaxes in the early days of The Beatles. Paul McCartney is also a bit of an archivist, and he held on to his negatives and photos over the years. Many of the negatives, it seems, never made it beyond the contact sheet stage and some were never even printed. In fact, in 2023 McCartney had said that he had discovered he had over 1000 photos, the vast majority of which fans had never known about, let alone seen.

Not only did McCartney publish some of these photos in a book (1964: Eyes of the Storm, 2023) but in June 2023 Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm made its debut at the National Portrait Gallery in London, England. The exhibit then began the touring rounds, and it has finally landed in Canada, at The Art Gallery Of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto. I had an opportunity to view the exhibition, accompanied by Jim Shedden, Curator, Special Projects & Director of Publishing, of the AGO.

“The whole thing takes ten weeks,” Shedden said. “The whole show starts in December 1963 and in mid February they are on their way back to the U.K. with the exception of some photos, a prologue, from November 1963.”

The exhibition shows The Beatles in Liverpool in 1963, then they are off to Paris, and finally hitting New York and Miami when Beatlemania explodes in North America. While the vast majority of the photos are taken by McCartney, there are a few publicity shots, and videos of The Beatles landing at Kennedy Airport (the famous press conference) and performances from their first appearance on Ed Sullivan are also part of the exhibit. But McCartney’s pictures are phenomenal on many levels.

Shedden likes to point out something that McCartney himself has said (and it accompanies the beautifully displayed photos on the wall). “Paul’s disclaimer, where he says, ‘I’m not setting out to be seen as a master photographer, but an occasional photographer who happened to be in the right place at the right time’. Kind of an understatement in two ways, he really is in the right place at the right time but although he is not a master photographer, these are very good photos. I think that the National Portrait Gallery saw that and this is something that would not embarrass them to show. For a 21-year-old, he was picking up everything visually from British Free Cinema, French New Wave, and the Sunday Observer, that he was probably reading and seeing all the great photos. And Astrid Kirchherr (who took photos of the early days of The Beatles in Hamburg, Germany).”

Shedden is correct, because these photos allow the viewer a small glimpse behind the curtain and to see The Beatles and Beatlemania from a different perspective. McCartney took photos of fans, but he also took a close-up of an American police officer’s gun and bullets. Coming from the U.K., where police did not carry guns, it must have been a little uncomfortable for all The Beatles.

And beyond the photos of crowds, there are the intimate shots of The Beatles. John wearing his glasses, each Beatle in conversation with others, or any one of them being playful. There are even beautiful photos of Brian Epstein, not only smiling but laughing. All of The Beatles insiders are there, Mal Evans, Neil Aspinall, even their driver.  Friends of The Beatles and their families, including John Lennon’s first wife, Cynthia, George’s parents, and Paul’s dad and brother. “I tell people these are like family snapshots,” Shedden reflected. “The Beatles were his brothers, and like all brothers they loved each other and they fought.”

There is also an addition to the show in Toronto that no other show has had. There is a separate display of The Beatles in Canada. Of course, The Beatles broke in Canada in 1963, months before their big splash on Ed Sullivan and taking the U.S. by storm. “Toronto has a sidebar show, which we were allowed to do, and no other venue were able to do anything like that. They wanted to make sure it was related to the exhibit but at the same time separate,” said Shedden.

They succeed, as this is a great display of Canadian Record releases, 1050 CHUM charts, and some wonderful memorabilia and photos from Trudy Metcalf, the head of the Canadian chapter of The Official Beatles Fan Club. Canadian Beatles historian Piers Hemmingsen contributed to the exhibit as well, especially regarding Paul White from Capitol Records Canada, who took a chance and released The Beatles records in 1963 across Canada.

Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm is not a new exhibition, but it is new to Canada. McCartney, of late, has been very busy telling his story, either with The Beatles or Wings or solo. As with his other works, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm is a work of art and does not disappoint. While the book is excellent and captures the collection, there is something about seeing them hung in the gallery for the world to see and enjoy. Plus, QR codes are available throughout in order to listen to McCartney talk about some of the exhibits.

Paul McCartney Photographs 1963–64: Eyes of the Storm is at the AGO until June 7, 2026. Information is available on their website. Die hard fans, casual fans, or just those who are curious as to what the fuss was all about, this exhibit is the place to spend an afternoon.

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Photo Credits: Paul McCartney