A massive collection of original Beatles contact sheets—photographed by the legendary Leslie Bryce—was recently auctioned off for nearly $38,500 (£35,200).

The winning bid came from a UK-based collector at the Sworders auction house on July 6th. The incredible archive, consisting of over 400 sheets, was put up for sale by Bryce’s daughter, passing directly from his family’s hands.

Leslie Bryce was the go-to photographer for The Beatles Monthly Book, the group’s official fan magazine that ran from 1963 to 1969. At its peak, the magazine had 330,000 subscribers, and because of his close relationship with the band, Bryce enjoyed “all-access” privileges. Whether it was backstage, in the studio, or even inside their private homes, he was there to capture it all. Bryce later shared these insights in his 2015 book, Looking Through You: Unseen Photographs from The Beatles Book Archive.

This collection is essentially a roadmap of the Beatles’ meteoric rise. It starts early:

• 1963: Iconic shots from their performance at The Winter Gardens in Margate, including candid photos of John, Paul, George, and Ringo playing ping-pong at their hotel.

• Rare behind-the-scenes glimpses from their first US tour and the historic Ed Sullivan Show appearance.

• Documentation of the 1964 European tour, famously including Jimmie Nicol’s time filling in for Ringo after he was struck with tonsillitis.

• Candid snaps from the sets of A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, leading up to the creative intensity of the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band sessions in 1967 and the premiere of Yellow Submarine in 1968.

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