John Lennon’s Story Through Pictures

Many people agree that a single picture can be worth a thousand words. A picture can tell you the basics: who, what, when, where and why. But it can also talk about emotions, connections, and reveal more about a time period than any book can describe. This is the way that many of the photographs in John Lennon: Unseen Archives can pop out at the reader.

This collection of photographs span the decades from the early 1960’s all the way to the mid 1980’s, showing a widow and her son still grieving and celebrating the life of John Lennon through their actions. The photographs are mostly from the archives of The Daily Mail, the daily British tabloid newspaper, as well as additional photos provided by the Hulton Getty Picture Collection.

Image via Wikipedia

Lennon and Beatles fans alike could spend hours pouring over the pages of this book. Words and explanations are kept to a minimum to make room for the fabulous photos. Since many of the photos came from The Daily Mail, they are familiar to casual and devoted fans alike. But some of the shots are more rare, only appearing in a few other select places throughout the years. One of the best photos in the whole collection is Lennon relaxing with the Lord Provost in Edinburgh, Scotland. One photo has the two talking to someone out of the shot, while the second one has a more humorous overtone of Lennon admiring the Lord Provost’s chain of office.

The photographs present in this book span not only decades, but also reveal the many sides of John Lennon. There are photographs from his days as a Beatle, his relationship with first wife Cynthia and second wife Yoko, Lennon’s solo years, his activism, his househusband years, and the worldwide outpouring of grief when he was fatally shot in December 1980.

This book is recommended for casual and devoted fans of John Lennon. It makes a great coffee table book and an interesting conversation piece.